Veronica Burton (22) and Gabby Williams (19) combined for 41 points, leading the Valkyries to a 94-76 victory over the Dallas Wings at American Airlines Center on Friday. Burton also dished out a game-high seven assists with zero turnovers, setting the tone for a Valkyries team that had 19 more assists than their opponent (27-8) and simultaneously committed six fewer turnovers (13-6). The Valkyries’ 27 assists set a new franchise record and seven different players had multiple assists. Golden State has won three straight games and nine of their last 11, keeping pace with the Las Vegas Aces for the second-best record in the league. They now need just five wins to clinch a spot in the WNBA playoffs.

HAYES HELPS VALKYRIES WITHSTAND EARLY BUECKERS HEATER
Paige Bueckers is the Wings’ offensive engine, and she ignited early, opening the game with back-to-back 3-pointers that gave Dallas a quick 6-0 lead. Kayla Thornton responded for the Valkyries with a 3-pointer of her own, and veteran guard Tiffany Hayes helped turn the tide by controlling the tempo for Golden State with consistent trips to the line. By the end of the quarter, Hayes, who had scored in double figures in her previous three games, already had nine points and eight free-throw attempts. The Valkyries won the opening quarter by five points and overcame 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting from Bueckers by holding the rest of the Wings’ offense to 10 points on 1-for-12 shooting. 

WILLIAMS’ DOUBLE-DIGIT QUARTER SHOWCASES TWO-WAY PROWESS 
The Valkyries forced Dallas into a three-minute scoring drought in the second quarter. In addition to her stellar defense, Gabby Williams helped the Valkyries take advantage of their consistent defensive stops on the other end by scoring 10 points in the frame and becoming Golden State’s first player in double figures. Williams converted a 3-point play after being fouled on a fadeaway jumper and ended the half with a contested 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining. Williams’ 3-pointer was just the Valkyries’ fourth made 3-pointer in 19 attempts, but they were still able to win the half by eight points, largely due to their defense. 

20+ ASSISTS IN FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES
Golden State took its eight-point halftime lead and doubled it in the third quarter. The Valkyries opened the quarter on a 10-2 run, with center Kiah Stokes accounting for half of those points. They led by as many as 20 points in the quarter. Hayes assisted on a 3-pointer by Kaila Charles, which marked the Valkyries’ 20th assist on 25 made field goals. The Valkyries have reached the 20-assist mark in five straight games and 15 times this season. 

THORNTON REACHES 2,500 CAREER POINTS, RECORDS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE OF SEASON
With a corner 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, Kayla Thornton reached 2,500 career points against a team she spent over half of her WNBA career with. Thornton also had her first double-double of the season on Friday, tallying 11 points and 10 rebounds. Thornton, a native of El Paso, Texas, spent six seasons with the Wings. 

UP NEXT
The Valkyries will play the WNBA’s other California team when they visit the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com arena on Sunday (4 p.m. PT). They then head back to Ballhalla to celebrate their bestie Violet's birthday as they host the Chicago Sky at Chase Center on Wednesday (7 p.m. PT).

By the Numbers