Janelle Salaun scores 22, Gabby Williams adds 19 and the Valkyries held off the Storm 76-72

2 1 minute read

Janelle Salaun and Gabby Williams led the Golden State Valkyries to a hard-fought 76-72 victory over the Seattle Storm. Salaun showcased her sharpshooting skills with 22 points, including five 3-pointers, while Williams, facing her former team, contributed 19 points to the win.

In a thrilling matchup, Salaun’s fifth 3-pointer extended Golden State’s lead to 69-57 with just over four minutes remaining in the game. However, the Valkyries struggled to find the basket after that, going 1 of 16 from the field and allowing Seattle to mount a comeback.

Seattle managed to cut the deficit to 71-70 and had a chance to take the lead, but Flau’jae Johnson’s layup attempt rimmed out. Golden State’s Tiffany Hayes was fouled with 21.3 seconds left and calmly sank two free throws to give her team a crucial three-point advantage.

As the game entered its final moments, Seattle closed the gap to just one point, but Williams came through in the clutch, sinking two free throws to secure a 75-72 lead. Kiah Stokes then made a pivotal block on Seattle’s potential game-tying 3-point attempt.

Hayes finished with 17 points off the bench, while Veronica Burton added 11 points and eight assists for Golden State. Williams, who spent four seasons in Seattle, converted all five of her free throw attempts to help the Valkyries finish 20 of 23 from the charity stripe.

On the other side, Natisha Hiedeman had a standout performance for Seattle, notching a career-high 26 points with five 3-pointers. Despite her efforts, the Storm suffered their eighth consecutive loss.

Salaun set the tone early in the game, scoring 13 points in the first half to propel the Valkyries to a slim 40-38 lead at halftime. Golden State then went on a 19-6 run to start the third quarter, extending their lead to 59-44.

Looking ahead, Golden State will begin a three-game homestand against Los Angeles on Monday, while Seattle will face off against Portland on Wednesday.

For more WNBA coverage, visit AP WNBA.