The stakes were high on Mother’s Day, when the Valkyries won their first regular season home game against the Phoenix Mercury 95-79.
Second year Valkyrie Janelle Salaun, was electric off the bench with 21 points. She described the feeling at the end of the game:
"You just want to scream," she said "like, express your emotions.”
Just the day before, the Mercury had unraveled WNBA defending champion Las Vegas Aces by 30 points on their home court. But playing in Ballhalla is a whole other story.
Valkyries veteran Kayla Thornton said, “there’s just something about our crowd. When I go in there, I just get goosebumps. If I was on the other side, I would feel very intimidated.”
Indeed, Golden State rattled the Mercury, ending with 10 steals and 17 forced turnovers.
Over the last week, head coach Natalie Nakase made brutal decisions to narrow down her final roster. Now, her Golden State squad has proven that they can compete with top talent in the league - especially on home court.
Nakase said the Valkyries newest star, Gabby Williams, really shined after an underwhelming debut in Seattle last Friday.
“To see her selflessness with the way she plays," said Nakase, "it fits perfectly.”
The Valkyries will be back at Chase Center on Wednesday to take on the Chicago Sky.
