In a thrilling home opener that had the Chase Center crowd on its feet, the Golden State Valkyries soared past the Phoenix Mercury 95-79 on Sunday night, proving why they're already a force to be reckoned with in just their second season.
Janelle Salaun was the sparkplug off the bench, pouring in 21 points on an incredibly efficient 7-of-9 shooting, including a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. She wasn't alone in the spotlight—All-Star forward Gabby Williams made her home debut a memorable one with 19 points and five rebounds, while Kayla Thornton matched her with 19 points of her own. Veronica Burton ran the show beautifully, stuffing the stat sheet with 13 points and 12 assists.
The Valkyries are no strangers to making history. Last season, they became the first expansion franchise in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in their debut year, narrowly falling to top-seeded Minnesota 75-74. That playoff pedigree was on full display Sunday as they weathered every Mercury comeback attempt.
Phoenix came out firing, jumping to a 7-0 lead, but Golden State answered with authority. A devastating 21-6 run to open the second quarter flipped the script completely, turning a deficit into a commanding 38-26 lead. By halftime, the Valkyries had stretched their advantage to 48-31.
The Mercury, coming off a historic 99-66 rout of defending champion Las Vegas on Saturday—the largest road win in franchise history—refused to go quietly. Former Stanford star Kiana Williams, playing in front of her Hall of Fame college coach Tara VanDerveer, drained a 3-pointer to pull Phoenix within 73-68 with just over eight minutes left. Alyssa Thomas, who finished with 19 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, then knocked down two free throws to make it 73-70.
That's when Salaun took over. She calmly sank three free throws with 5:43 remaining, then followed with a layup on the next possession to push the lead to 83-70, igniting the sellout crowd of 18,064 at Chase Center—a venue where the Valkyries sold out all 22 home games last season.
The atmosphere was electric from the start, with the crowd giving a rousing ovation before tipoff when Burton addressed the arena, referring to it as "Ballhalla"—a clever nod to Valhalla, the Norse mythology hall where Valkyries guide fallen warriors.
Playing without Tiffany Hayes (left pinky injury) and Cecilia Zandalasini (concussion), the Valkyries showed depth and resilience. The Mercury, meanwhile, will look to regroup when they host the Lynx on Tuesday night for their own home opener.