Golden State Valkyrie Women defeated Chicago Sky 91:71 in WNBA action on Thursday evening. The hosts controlled proceedings throughout, building a commanding 23-point lead at the peak of the contest. It was a result that reflected the gulf between second and fifth place in the standings.
Valkyrie were ruthless in transition, scoring 15 fast break points compared to Chicago's five. They exploited turnovers with particular efficiency, converting 25 points off Sky mistakes. The visitors managed only 18 in that category despite committing more turnovers themselves.
Shooting from distance proved decisive. Golden State connected on eight of their twenty-one three-point attempts, while Chicago made just six from nineteen. The Valkyrie also dominated inside, posting 42 points in the paint against 36 for the visitors.
Chicago had been inconsistent in recent outings, losing to Seattle and Indiana while beating Los Angeles and narrowly edging Las Vegas. They came into this fixture needing to stabilise, but the defeat leaves them well adrift of the top four.
The Valkyrie, meanwhile, had lost only one of their last five matches before this victory. Their 29 wins from 40 games keep them firmly in contention for a high seeding. With three points separating them from the division leaders, every game matters at this stage.