Valkyries Edge Storm 76-72 as Salaun and Williams Shine

SEATTLE (AP) — In a tightly contested matchup, Janelle Salaun led the Golden State Valkyries with 22 points, including five shots from beyond the arc, while Gabby Williams contributed 19 points against her former team, securing a narrow 76-72 victory over the Seattle Storm on Friday night.

Salaun's fifth three-pointer extended Golden State's lead to 69-57 with just over four minutes left in the game. However, the Valkyries faced a tough finish, making only one of their last 16 attempts from the field, which allowed Seattle to close the gap.

The Storm managed to reduce the deficit to 71-70 and had a chance to take the lead, but Flau’jae Johnson's layup didn't find the basket. With 21.3 seconds remaining, Golden State's Tiffany Hayes was fouled and successfully converted two free throws, giving her team a crucial three-point edge. Seattle responded quickly, narrowing the score again to 75-72, but Williams sealed the win with two more free throws and a key block by Kiah Stokes on a last-second three-pointer.

Hayes finished the game with 17 points coming off the bench, while Veronica Burton added 11 points and eight assists for Golden State, which now holds a record of 8-5. Williams, a former Storm player, was instrumental at the free-throw line, hitting all five of her attempts as the Valkyries excelled from the charity stripe, going 20 of 23.

For Seattle (3-12), Natisha Hiedeman stood out with a career-high 26 points and five three-pointers, but the team continues to struggle, marking their eighth consecutive loss. Salaun's strong first-half performance helped the Valkyries go into the break with a slight 40-38 lead after an impressive 19-6 run to open the third quarter.

Looking ahead, the Valkyries will kick off a three-game homestand against Los Angeles on Monday, while the Storm prepare to face off against Portland on Wednesday.