Valkyries Dominate Sun, Marking Sixth Straight Loss for Connecticut

Kayla Thornton's impressive performance, featuring 21 points and eight rebounds, propelled the Golden State Valkyries to an 87-63 victory against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday night.

With this defeat, Connecticut's record now stands at 2-12, marking their sixth consecutive loss.

Laeticia Amihere contributed significantly for Golden State (7-6), achieving her first career double-double with 10 points and a personal-best 12 rebounds. The Valkyries have been on a roll, winning five of their last six games, including a recent triumph over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.

Chloe Bibby added 11 points to the scoreboard, while Veronica Burton chipped in with 10. Stephanie Talbot also made her mark, securing a season-high 10 rebounds alongside six points and four assists.

In a standout second quarter, Golden State set a franchise record by scoring 36 points, with Thornton contributing 14 of those. The team shot an impressive 10 of 18 from the field and capitalized on free throws, going 12 of 14, with Thornton perfect at the line. This quarter saw the Sun struggle, managing only 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting, leading to a significant halftime deficit of 59-32.

Bibby initiated the scoring surge with a tiebreaking three-pointer at the end of the first quarter and followed up with another to start the second. Thornton then capped a 12-2 run with a three-point play, extending the Valkyries' lead to 32-22 early in the second half.

Aneesah Morrow led the Sun's efforts with 14 points, while Jacy Sheldon added 10. However, Connecticut's shooting woes continued as they finished the game with just 30% accuracy from the field (20 of 66) and struggled from beyond the arc at 29% (7 of 24).

Looking ahead, the Valkyries will face the defending WNBA champion New York in their third consecutive home game, while the Sun prepare for an away match against Las Vegas on Wednesday.