Tiffany Hayes lit up the scoreboard with 21 points as the Golden State Valkyries overwhelmed the Seattle Storm, securing an 84-57 victory on Sunday night. Veronica Burton also made a significant impact, contributing 15 points along with five rebounds and five assists.
In a concerning moment for the Valkyries, Kayla Thornton exited the game at the 9:22 mark of the third quarter, visibly holding her neck. The team has not disclosed specifics regarding her injury, but she struggled throughout the game, shooting just 1 for 9 and failing to make any of her five attempts from beyond the arc, finishing with only two points and five rebounds. Fortunately, her teammates stepped up to fill the void.
Skylar Diggins led the Storm with 18 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Despite entering the game with a league-leading field-goal percentage of 47.0%, Seattle was stifled by Golden State's defense, managing only 27% shooting (20 for 74), marking their lowest performance of the season. Prior to this game, they had only dipped below 40% once.
Laeticia Amihere added to the Valkyries' strong start with 15 points and eight rebounds, helping the team jump out to a quick 7-0 lead. Nneka Ogwumike finally got Seattle on the board with a shot at the 6:58 mark, but Golden State quickly established a 13-4 advantage by making five of their first eight attempts.
Ogwumike, a standout from Stanford, ended the night with eight points on 3-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds. The Storm had recently enjoyed a successful stretch, winning four of their last five games.
Both teams faced challenges from long range; Seattle managed only six successful three-pointers out of 28 attempts, while the Valkyries fared slightly better at eight of 27.
Golden State center Temi Fágbenlé returned to action after a brief hiatus for EuroBasket 2025, playing 20 minutes in this matchup.
The game drew an impressive crowd of 18,064 fans at Chase Center, marking the Valkyries' tenth consecutive sellout at home. Among the notable attendees were NBA MVP Stephen Curry, South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley, former Storm star Sue Bird, and U.S. soccer icon Megan Rapinoe.
Valkyries guard Carla Leite remained sidelined for her fourth consecutive game due to a back injury. Looking ahead, Seattle will embark on a three-game East Coast trip starting Thursday against Atlanta, while Golden State prepares to face Minnesota on Saturday.
