The Golden State Valkyries trailed by as many as 31 points and committed a season-worst 23 turnovers in their 95-64 loss to the Sun in Connecticut on Sunday. Former eight-time All-Star Tina Charles set the tone for the Sun, scoring a game-high 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting — she also far and away led the game in plus-minus at plus-39. In just her second career game, Iliana Rupert was the lone Valkyrie in double figures, with 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting and three made 3-pointers. With the loss, the Valkyries squandered an opportunity to get back to .500 (11-13), while the Sun earned their fourth win of the season (4-20).

MARTIN MAKES HER MARK
Kate Martin was the only active Valkyrie who didn't play in Friday's win over the Dallas Wings, but Head Coach Natalie Nakase was adamant postgame that Martin would get her shot during a five games in nine days stretch. Martin made the most of her opportunity on Sunday, sinking a team-high-tying three 3-pointers off the bench. Her first came off a dho (direct handoff) and her other two were both catch-and-shoot triples. 

RUPERT'S FIRST GAME IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Iliana Rupert scored nine points with two made threes in her Valkyries debut on Friday and followed that up with her first game in double figures on Sunday. Rupert scored 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and 2-for-2 from deep over her first 10 minutes. She added a third 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to remain perfect from behind the arc — a bright spot in an otherwise rough outing for Golden State.

SEASON-HIGH-TYING 23 TURNOVERS
One of the Valkyries' biggest hindrances was their lack of ball security, as they committed a season-high 23 turnovers, resulting in more turnovers than assists (15). The Valkyries fall to 0-4 when committing at least 20 turnovers — the league overall is just 2-16 when tallying at least that many giveaways. 

UP NEXT
The Valkyries continue their five-game road trip in Atlanta, facing the Dream on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. PT. Bay Area fans can tune in at KPIX+, while Sacramento fans can watch on KMAX.