Veronica Burton scores 22 to lead Valkyries to expansion franchise's first win, 76-74 over Mystics
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Veronica Burton made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:38 remaining, another with 29 seconds left on the way to 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists, leading the Golden State Valkyries to the expansion franchise's first victory with a 76-74 win against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night.
Kayla Thornton converted a four-point play with 1:03 left and scored 18 points for the Valkyries, cheered on by a dancing Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski among the raucous sellout crowd. Streamers rained down after the final buzzer sounded.
Sonia Citron's 3 for Washington with 5 seconds left made it interesting.
Brittney Sykes scored 30 points and converted two free throws with 1:58 to play to put Washington ahead but the Valkyries knocked down all the big shots in the closing minutes after losing guard Tiffany Hayes to a nose injury late in the first half.
Burton banked in a Stephen Curry-like long 3-pointer to beat the halftime horn and put Golden State ahead 31-30 at the break.
Janelle Salaun scored 10 points and grabbed a key rebound in the waning moments while making her WNBA debut fresh off an Italian League title and Finals MVP honors for Beretta Famila Schio. Her 3-pointer with 2:07 in the first half was the team's first after 17 misses from deep to start the game.
Hayes was helped off the court late in the second quarter and didn't return after taking an arm to the face from Washington's Shakira Austin and going down for several minutes.
She gave a thumbs up after she was helped off the court and went to the locker room with a towel pressed to her face.
Golden State, beginning its first season and playing at Chase Center that's also home to the NBA Warriors, finished just 7 of 37 from long range. Up next
Washington visits the Las Vegas Aces on Friday. The Valkyries begin their inaugural three-game road trip beginning Friday at the Los Angeles Sparks, who beat Golden State in its opener last Friday.
___
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
recommended
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Team With Two Future Hall of Famers Targets Kevin Durant Amid Trade Rumors
Team With Two Future Hall of Famers Targets Kevin Durant Amid Trade Rumors originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Phoenix Suns are expected to trade Kevin Durant this offseason after missing the playoffs and play-in tournament this year. Advertisement Durant, who turns 37 in September, has one year left on his contract. He's been heavily linked to the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves. One of the greatest players in NBA history, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line. Durant doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, but he and his camp are working together with the Suns to find a logical landing spot and a team with two future Hall of Famers has been talking to Phoenix about a KD trade. Kevin Durant could end up in Los Angeles this offseason. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images According to Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm, the Los Angeles Clippers have called the Suns about trading for Durant. Advertisement They are looking for bigger fish to fry, though I think a deal ultimately is unlikely,' Moore wrote. 'Instead of revealing the shocker that they're a team that has talks with Phoenix about KD, how about this: they, like everyone else in the league, has called Phoenix about KD and just happen to be one of the teams that those talks have gotten out about.' A top 75 player of all time, Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. He's a two-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, a one-time MVP and a four-time scoring champion. Durant played with Clippers guard James Harden in OKC and Brooklyn. Harden is expected to decline his 2025-26 player option and sign a new deal with the Clippers, who are led by Harden and two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. Durant, Harden and Leonard will be in the Hall of Fame one day. It will be interesting to see if the Clippers find a way to acquire KD this summer. Related: New Kevin Durant Trade and Contract Rumor Emerges Friday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New NBA Team Emerges as Favorite to Land Suns' Kevin Durant
New NBA Team Emerges as Favorite to Land Suns' Kevin Durant originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Phoenix Suns are widely expected to trade Kevin Durant this offseason. In fact, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report reported that the Suns trading Durant this summer is a 'foregone conclusion.' Advertisement 'Everyone around the Kevin Durant situation, around Phoenix, are talking about a Kevin Durant trade as a foregone conclusion,' Fischer said. 'That trading Kevin Durant was spoken about to various candidates in the Suns' lengthy head coaching search process. That trading him was going to be basically a matter of fact and not a matter of if, but a matter of when." Multiple teams are expected to pursue Durant, a two-time Finals MVP who averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season. While it's tough to predict where Durant lands, a new NBA team has emerged as the betting favorite to trade for the superstar forward. Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant could be heading to Texas this offseason. Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images The San Antonio Spurs, who have been heavily linked to Durant, are the betting favorites to trade for KD, who has one year left on his contract. Advertisement Durant turns 37 in September. He has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. The future Hall of Famer won two championships with the Warriors but hasn't gotten back to the NBA Finals since leaving Golden State for Brooklyn in the summer of 2019. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports, the Suns could trade Durant to the Spurs 'right before' the 2025 NBA Draft. 'The team that I heard last night in speaking to somebody pretty close to the situation with KD is keep your eye on the Spurs,' Gambadoro said. 'KD could have some interest in the Spurs. 'That may be a good landing spot for him with (De'Aaron) Fox and (Victor) Wembanyama, an up-and-coming team on the rise that has a great defensive anchor on their team and a terrific young player in Stephon Castle. Advertisement 'I expect that a KD deal would happen right before the draft because you want to include draft capital in the deal. So a KD trade would come up this month, sometime before the draft, probably close to the draft if it's gonna happen.' Related: Team With Two Future Hall of Famers Targets Kevin Durant Amid Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Durant Expected to Be Pursued by Familiar East Contender Once Again
Kevin Durant Expected to Be Pursued by Familiar East Contender Once Again originally appeared on Athlon Sports. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant's business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, have met numerous times over the past week and are "sifting through trade scenarios." Advertisement The Suns are going to trade Durant this offseason after missing the playoffs this year and firing Mike Budenholzer as head coach. A two-time champion, Durant has one year left on his contract. The superstar small forward will make $54.7 million next season. Durant doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, but Charania reports that the Suns and KD "are expected to work together on potential destinations." Phoenix almost traded Durant at the February trade deadline and a team in the Eastern Conference that attempted to acquire the future Hall of Famer in the winter will try to trade for the four-time scoring champion again this summer. The Heat are interested in trading for Kevin Durant again. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images According to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, the Heat are interested in trading for Durant again. Advertisement "Months after making a trade offer for Kevin Durant, the Heat again has interest in acquiring the 15-time All-Star forward, but only at the right price, a source with direct knowledge said Wednesday," Jackson and Chiang wrote. The Heat got swept in the first round of this year's playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jimmy Butler was traded to the Golden State Warriors in February after the All-Star forward requested a trade from Miami. Durant, who turns 37 in September, averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season. The two-time Finals MVP shot 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line. A top 75 player of all time, Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. Related: Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Lands Suns' Kevin Durant With LeBron James' Old Team This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
