Janelle Salaun scores 21 points off the bench and Valkyries beat Mercury 95-79 to win home opener

TL;DR

Janelle Salaun scored 21 points off the bench as the Valkyries defeated the Mercury 95-79 in their home opener. Gabby Williams and Kayla Thornton also contributed 19 points each for Golden State.

Key points

Janelle Salaun scored 21 points off the bench
Valkyries beat Mercury 95-79 in home opener
Gabby Williams and Kayla Thornton each scored 19 points
Valkyries sold out all 22 home games last year
Mercury committed 17 turnovers in the game

ValkyriesMercuryWNBA

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Janelle Salaun scored 21 points off the bench, Gabby Williams contributed 19 points and five rebounds in her home debut for Golden State after the All-Star forward signed last month, and the Valkyries beat the Phoenix Mercury 95-79 on Sunday night. Kayla Thornton also scored 19 and Veronica Burton added 13 points and 12 assists for the second-year Valkyries, who made history by becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in its first season before losing to top-seeded Minnesota 75-74. Alyssa Thomas had 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds but committed six of the 17 turnovers for the Mercury, who completed a road back-to-back. They routed the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 99-66 on Saturday with Natasha Mack grabbing 15 rebounds — the largest road win in franchise history and a rematch of the 2025 WNBA Finals. Mack managed only two rebounds Sunday. Kiana Williams, a former Stanford star whose Hall of Fame college coach Tara VanDerveer was in attendance, made a 3-pointer with 8:03 left that pulled Phoenix within 73-68, and Thomas' two free throws at the 7:34 mark made it 73-70. Then Salaun converted three free throws for Golden State with 5:43 to play before her layup the next time down made it 83-70. That delighted the sellout crowd at 18,064-capacity Chase Center, where all 22 of their home games last year. The Valkyries received a rousing ovation from the home crowd shortly before tipoff when Burton spoke on the microphone to “Ballhalla,” as it became known inside the arena in a play on Valhalla — which in Norse mythology is where Valkyries guide the souls of slain Warriors. Phoenix went ahead 7-0 before Golden State started the second quarter on a 21-6 burst to take a 38-26 lead and build a 48-31 advantage at intermission. Salaun shot 7 of 9 and made all four of her 3-point tries for a Golden State team missing with a left pinky injury and because of a concussion.

Q&A

What were Janelle Salaun's stats in the game against the Mercury?

Janelle Salaun scored 21 points, shooting 7 of 9 from the field and making all four of her 3-point attempts.

How did the Valkyries perform in their previous season?

The Valkyries made history by becoming the first expansion franchise to reach the playoffs in their first season, although they lost to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx.

What is the next game for the Mercury and Valkyries?

The Mercury will host the Lynx on Tuesday night, while the Valkyries will host the Chicago Sky on Wednesday night.

Janelle Salaun scores 21 points off the bench and Valkyries beat Mercury 95-79 to win home opener

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