Valkyries

SAN FRANCISCO — Veronica Burton scored 16 points, Cecilia Zandalasini scored 14 before halftime and the Golden State Valkyries moved a game ahead of the Sparks in the Western Conference beating them 72-59 on Saturday night.

Janelle Salaun scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Golden State (15-15). Zandalasini scored 14 points in the first half on five-for-six shooting, including four for five from three-point range and missed her only shot attempt after halftime.

Dearica Hamby scored 15 points for the Sparks (14-16), and Julie Allemand and reserve Rae Burrell each scored 10.

Golden State built a 19-14 lead after one quarter, and the Valkyries took advantage of a nine-point quarter by the Sparks for a 33-23 lead at halftime.

The Sparks started the third quarter with a 7-0 run with a pair of foul shots and a short shot by Kelsey Plum and a three-pointer by Hamby. Golden State extended its lead to 41-32 before the Sparks rallied again to get within 43-40 but never got closer.

Golden State sealed the win outscoring the Sparks 12-5 over the first six minutes of the fourth.

The Valkyries won the regular-season series 3-1 over the Sparks and currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot.

Kelsey Plum initially sat quietly, holding back tears.

One issue weighed heavily on her mind — the lack of foul calls.

Calls that might have cost the Sparks a chance at victory in an 89-81 overtime loss to the Golden State Valkyries at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.

Plum’s voice eventually broke as she expressed her frustration during the postgame news conference.

“I drive more than anyone in the league, so to shoot six free throws is… absurd,” Plum said, preempting her comments with an acknowledgment that the WNBA might fine her for criticizing the officiating. “I’ve got scratches on my face. I’ve got scratches on my body. And these guards on the other team get these ticky-tack fouls — I’m sick of it.”

The lack of foul calls overshadowed the Sparks’ second loss in three matchups this season against the expansion Valkyries, adding to what has been a tough, 3-7 start for the team.

Plum said she felt she was getting fouled on nearly “every possession.” Although the Sparks edged the Valkyries in free-throw attempts 25-23, Plum was dumbfounded that she hardly got any whistles. She made all six of her free-throw attempts, with her final trip to the line coming with 7:54 remaining in the third quarter — off a three-point attempt.

“I don’t know what else to do,” Plum said, referring to the no-calls at the end of the third and fourth quarters in a close game. “There were multiple shots at the end of the game — end of the third, end of the fourth — where they’re just coming in… swinging, and they don’t call anything.”

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts backed Plum, echoing her frustrations. She pointed out how Plum earned her trips to the line, while Plum whispered to her coach that she’d cover any potential fine that might come her way.

“Three of those were off a three. One was technical, a three-second violation,” Roberts said. “She got one time to the free-throw line attacking. When you think about it, it’s not right. … Obviously, the scouting report is to be as physical as you can with her. And it’s being allowed. So we’ve got to talk to the league about it, but it isn’t right.

“You watch some of the other stars in the league, they don’t get fouled like that without going to the free throw line.”

After the news conference, Plum spoke with the officiating crew — Jenna Reneau, Biniam Maru and Blanca Burns — for several minutes outside their designated room at Crypto.com Arena.

Despite the physical play thrown her way, Plum once again led the Sparks with 24 points, seven assists and four rebounds — and had multiple chances to win the game. After a back-and-forth stretch, the Sparks briefly reclaimed control behind Plum’s late-game heroics.

With 37.8 seconds left in regulation, everyone inside Crypto.com Arena knew where the ball was going. The Valkyries (4-5) threw everything they had at Kelsey Plum, trying to deny her a shot. But with defenders draped all over her, Plum delivered — drilling a clutch three-pointer over Temi Fágbénlé to give the Sparks a 78–76 lead.

It looked like the breakthrough the Sparks needed to finally close it out — but an easy layup on the other end tied it with 17.8 seconds remaining. Plum had another chance to win it at the buzzer, but her floater rimmed out, sending the game to overtime.

Dearica Hamby had 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Janelle Salaun led Golden State with 21 points and eight rebounds.

Golden State controlled the offensive glass, grabbing 17 rebounds to the Sparks’ six — a feat Roberts cited as a reason why the Valkyries won. Golden State finished with 49 total rebounds compared to the Sparks’ 34, further exposing L.A.’s struggles on the boards — they’re averaging just 32.2 per game.

Having already faced the Valkyries three times, the Sparks knew they would need to slow down their balanced offense and match the Valkyries’ physicality on defense.

For the most part, Roberts said her team did that by “forcing them to take some long, contested twos, and some tough, challenged threes.”

Roberts added: “They didn’t shoot it that much better than we did. Neither team had a tremendous shooting night, but if you get 17 second chances, you’re probably going to win.”

Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase knew her team needed extra possessions to beat the Sparks. She said that at halftime, she was frustrated by the lack of rebounds — a problem that Golden State quickly resolved in the second half.

“First time, I feel like I really had to dig deep and go off on them, but they responded,” Nakase said. “We knew five wasn’t enough — that’s not enough to beat this team. … A lot of extra possessions, just credit to them for that hunger.”

Although not an official rivalry steeped in tradition just yet, the competitiveness between California’s two WNBA teams suggests the start of one.

With the Sparks and Golden State Valkyries trying to jump start new eras for their respective franchises, the meeting marked the third clash between the teams in as many weeks — and it left the Sparks emotionally and physically bruised.

On their first road trip to Southern California on Friday, the expansion Valkyries exacted revenge on one of the WNBA’s charter members, holding off a late Sparks comeback in an 82-73 win.

The Sparks’ frustration was evident after the game. Coach Lynne Roberts looked displeased. Beside her, rookie Sarah Ashlee Barker sat stone-faced, a fresh shiner darkening the area beneath her right eye. Dearica Hamby rested her head in her hands, her responses to questions from the media brief and subdued.

“They beat us tonight,” Roberts said. “They were more connected. They played harder. They played with more intensity.”

What began as a back-and-forth battle quickly underscored how evenly matched the two teams are despite being at different stages. The final score suggested a close game, but for much of the night, it looked like it would be a Valkyries rout.

The Sparks surged to an early 20-9 lead behind strong play from Odyssey Sims, Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby. Sims hit three early three-pointers and Plum added six points fueled by defensive pressure and steals. Hamby anchored the interior with physical play.

But much like their previous two matchups, inconsistency quickly crept in for the Sparks (1-3). The Sparks’ struggles emerged after halftime in their last two games. This time, the unraveling came earlier.

“We stopped following the game plan,” Roberts said. “It’s bad — we’ve got to fix it. We need to put together a full 40 minutes. We haven’t done that yet.”

A second-quarter collapse — marked by defensive breakdowns and offensive stagnation — put L.A. in a hole too big to overcome. Entering the period with a two-point lead, Golden State went on an 18-0 run to take a 45-26 lead.

Golden State (2-1) shot 10 for 18 (55.6%) from the field in the second quarter, looking every bit like a team determined to avenge its two earlier losses — one in the preseason and the other in their season opener.

Meanwhile, the Sparks appeared far removed from the cohesion and toughness they showed in a loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday — the kind of progress coach Lynne Roberts pointed to as a sign of early-season growth. The Sparks didn’t register a field goal in the second quarter until the 2:36 mark.

L.A. trailed 49-35 at halftime after shooting just 2 for 16 from the field and scoring nine points in the second quarter.

From the start, the Valkyries’ game plan centered on containing Kelsey Plum, who erupted for 37 points against them on May 16. Golden State’s defense swarmed Plum with traps and forced the ball out of her hands, limiting her to 16 points on six-of-18 shooting, including two for 10 from beyond the arc. She also had four steals.

Golden State’s lead hovered around 15 points for much of the third quarter. The Sparks only began to chip away at the deficit in the fourth quarter.

A three-pointer from Plum cut the Valkyries’ lead to 73-63 with just under six minutes remaining. Moments later, Hamby powered to the rim through heavy contact, converting a tough layup and drawing the foul. Her successful free throw made it an eight-point game.

Hamby continued to take charge, shooting a three-pointer with 2:32 left to make it a five-point game.

“We definitely picked up the defensive energy,” Hamby said of the fourth-quarter effort. “We got some good hustle plays and tried to build momentum — but I want to win, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

But that was as close as the Sparks would get after Hamby fouled Kayla Thornton on a three-point attempt. Thornton made all three of her free-throw attempts.

Robert liked what she saw from the Sparks in the fourth quarter, but she wants to see that urgency deployed earlier and throughout the game.

“We can’t wait,” Roberts said. “We did show toughness — we didn’t fold. They kept competing, and we made it a game. … But why does it take us 30 minutes to play like that?”

Hamby scored 10 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter. She also had six rebounds and three blocks. Sims finished with 13 points as the Sparks suffered their third consecutive loss. Carla Leite led Golden State with 19 points.

Golden State’s win marked a special homecoming for Anaheim native and Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, who said she felt a wave of emotion as the team flew into L.A. Seeing familiar landmarks from the window of the plane — including her childhood homes — stirred memories of her father and the path that led her to becoming a WNBA coach. Nasake served as an assistant coach under Clippers coach Doc Rivers.

“It’s like seeing the ushers — a lot of them I’ve known for a long time, and they’re just saying congratulations and what an accomplishment,” said Nakase of the surreal feeling of winning at Crypto.com Arena. “It’s nice to see a lot of familiar faces.”