Golden State Valkyries Edge Los Angeles Sparks 84-78 in Late-Game Thriller

On Sunday night the Golden State Valkyries held off a late comeback by the Los Angeles Sparks to win 84-78. The Valkyries built a 19-point cushion early, leading 66-47 after a layup by Kaitlyn Chen 24 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Sparks answered with a 26-point surge, trimming the deficit to a single point after Ariel Atkins’ three-pointer with 1:38 remaining. A straight-away bank shot by Gabby Williams, a three-pointer from Janelle Salaun, and two free throws by Kayla Thornton in the final 21 seconds restored an eight-point lead that the Sparks could not overcome.

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Cecilia Zandalasini delivered a perfect shooting night, scoring 15 points on 5-of-5 three-point attempts, including a 3-of-3 stretch that helped Golden State post its highest-scoring first quarter of the season (29-15). Tiffany Hayes added 14 points, while both Gabby Williams and Kayla Thornton contributed 11 points each. For Los Angeles, Nneka Ogwumike led with 16 points and Erica Wheeler added 15. Dearica Hamby (12 points) and Kiana Williams (10 points) were productive early, each scoring all of their points in the opening quarter.

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Golden State shot 66.7% from the field (12-of-18). The Valkyries have improved to a 23-9 record, winning four straight and holding the league’s best record since June 24 (13-2). The Sparks fell to 12-19 on the night. Golden State’s Kiah Stokes exited with a neck contusion after an inadvertent elbow from Cameron Brink with 6:48 left in the game.

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The victory extends the Valkyries’ winning streak to four and solidifies their position atop the Western Conference, positioning them favorably for a deep playoff run. Conversely, the loss leaves the Sparks further behind in the standings and underscores defensive lapses in the final minutes.

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The Valkyries travel to host Chicago on Wednesday, while the Sparks will face Phoenix at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

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