The Golden State Valkyries host the Phoenix Mercury at Chase Center on Monday for the first of two consecutive meetings. The Valkyries will then head to Phoenix for the rematch on Friday. Golden State has won 10 of their expansion season record 18 games at Ballhalla. The Valkyries (18-16, 7th) and Mercury (20-13, 4th) are separated by just 2.5 games in the standings, putting very high stakes on their upcoming matchups. In their last head-to-head matchup, Alyssa Thomas hit a game-winning free throw to narrowly edge out Golden State by just one point.

Tuesday's game is Sneakerhead Night at Chase Center and the first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a high heat poster.

Valkyries vs. Mercury
Tuesday, Aug. 19 | Tipoff: 7 p.m.
WATCH: KPIX+ (Bay Area) KMAX (Sacramento)
LISTEN: 95.7 The Game
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LAST TIME OUT
The Valkyries fell 79-63 to the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center on Sunday night. The Dream pulled away in the third quarter, turning a one-point advantage with 4:30 left in the frame into an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter after a 13-3 run and never looked back. Veronica Burton scored a team-high 16 points for the Valkyries, with Cecilia Zandalasini being the only other Valkyries player to score in double figures (11 PTS). Rhyne Howard made four 3-pointers for the Dream, scoring a team-high 14 points. » Full Game Recap

STANDINGS WATCH WITH 10 GAMES LEFT
The Valkyries have 10 games remaining in their inaugural season with a goal of becoming the first expansion team in league history to make the playoffs. Golden State currently sits in seventh place and the top eight teams qualify for the postseason. Seven of the Valkyries' final 10 games are against opponents that are higher than them in the standings, with the exceptions being two games against the Dallas Wings and a game against the Washington Mystics. Among the most pivotal games are the two matchups with the Mercury beginning on Tuesday, a battle with the Indiana Fever at Chase Center on Aug. 31 and a duel in Seattle against the Storm on Sept. 9. 

PHOENIX SCOUTING REPORT
The Phoenix Mercury are in fourth place with a 20-13 record, but are just 5-7 over their last 12 games. The Mercury have played a competitive schedule over that stretch, losing to the second-place Atlanta Dream three times as well as the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty and Indiana Fever. Phoenix has a lethal All-Star tandem with Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. Sabally is the team's top scorer at 17.1 points per game. Thomas is the only player in the league averaging at least 15 points (16.2 PPG), eight rebounds (8.6 RPG) and eight assists (9.1 APG), while also leading the league with nearly two steals per game (1.7 SPG).