San Francisco, Calif. – The Golden State Valkyries had their four-game win streak snapped on Sunday versus the Atlanta Dream, 79-63.
Atlanta improved to 22-12 on the season with a strong, physical defensive performance. Golden State shot just 35% from the field, and guard Veronica Burton was the team’s leading scorer with 16 points.
Burton also played a physical brand of basketball, scoring multiple and-ones and getting many paint touches with the ball. Her offensive versatility has grown as the year has progressed and she’s a candidate for the WNBA Most Improved Player award. However, her impact was limited after she took a hit to the chest in the third quarter.
She didn’t talk to the media after the game.
The Valkyries played their fifth game in nine days, and when asked about potential fatigue, head coach Natalie Nakase commented, “We try to say ‘no excuses’ … I gotta figure out how to light a fire even if they’re fatigued. If players go down, no excuses, we’re still trying to win.”
While battling for a rebound, Valkyries backup center Iliana Rupert took a shot to the face in the third quarter and didn’t return to the game. The team announced she’s in concussion protocol.
The Valkyries didn’t get their offense to click on all cylinders and the game got blown open in the second half as Atlanta ran away with it. Five Dream players scored in the double digits, with Rhyne Howard leading her team with 14 points and six dimes.
The Valkyries next two games are both against the Phoenix Mercury, and they’ll do battle against Alyssa Thomas, 33, who’s nearly averaging a triple double on the season (16.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 9.1 apg).
