It was the second straight victory for the Valkyries over the Sparks.
Golden State Valkyries held nerves in the overtime to edge out Los Angeles Sparks 89-81 in Monday’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup showdown. Carla Leite’s decisive layup shot forced the overtime and the Valkyries snatched the victory with offensive brilliance. With this win, Golden State improved to 4-5 in the regular season and also took a 2-1 lead in the season-series against Los Angeles.
Golden State’s five players recorded in double figures and rookie Janelle Salaun led dropped a team-high 22 points. Temi Fagbenle scored a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Kyla Thornton had 18 points and 11 rebounds, including crucial 5 points in overtime. Carla Leite, who made a game-tying basket, chipped in 15 points off the bench.
Sparks and Valkyries head to this game with just three wins in the 2025 season. Los Angeles went on a 18-5 run in the end of the second quarter to build a 44-40 lead at halftime. Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum went for 29 points.
Golden State showed some character in the third period and outscored Los Angeles 25-21 to tie the game at 65 points. The fourth quarter was more intense and Sparks gained a crucial 3-point lead in the middle of the period. Plum’s 3-pointer helped Sparks to take a 78-76 lead with 37 seconds to go. However, Carla Leite’s layup shot with 25 seconds in the game proved decisive and match went into overtime.
Also Read: Why is Paige Bueckers Still Out Despite Clearing Concussion Protocol?
Both teams head to season’ first overtime and in first minute, both failed to score. Steven’s free throw allowed Valkyries to open the lead. Burton and Thornton’s 4-point, followed by Salaun’s three-pointer allowed Golden State to outscore Los Angeles 11-3. It was the second straight victory for the Valkyries over the Sparks. Before this game, both teams were tied 1-1 in the regular-season series.
For the Sparks, Kelsey Plum scored 24 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds, while Dearica Hamby added 20 points and nine rebounds. Both managed combined 13 points in the second half. Plum went 20-for-7 from the floor and her team shot 38.9% overall. Sparks missed 19 three-pointers out of 25 and Valkyries went just 15.6% from 3-point line.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
WNBA 
