Golden State Valkyries beat Toronto Tempo 92:82 in the WNBA on Wednesday. The hosts kept their second-place position while the visitors remained sixth with 40 games played each. Toronto had come to the arena two days earlier and lost 96:79 in the same venue.
and here's the thing — the game swung in both directions. Valkyries built a 13-point advantage at one stage, but Tempo responded with their own 13-point lead on the other end. Neither side could hold the upper hand for long, and the back-and-forth nature meant neither coach could settle on a strategy.
the difference came in the details. Valkyries won the rebound battle 38 to 27 and scored 22 second-chance points compared to Toronto's 6. They also converted 27 points off turnovers while the visitors managed 21. Both teams hit 12 three-pointers, but the hosts shot from closer range with 38 points in the paint against 30.
to be fair, Toronto had more discipline issues. They committed 19 personal fouls and 1 flagrant foul plus 1 technical, while Valkyries picked up 14 personal fouls and 1 technical only. The extra stops disrupted their rhythm and gave Golden State additional possessions they converted into points.
by then the result was clear. Valkyries extended their winning habit — they had beaten Toronto on Sunday and now added another victory. Toronto's recent form tells a different story: five losses in their last five games, including heavy defeats against Minnesota and Las Vegas. The gap between the teams in the table now stands at 18 victories.