Facing the defending WNBA champion Liberty in New York, the lights were too bright for the expansion Valkyries on Tuesday night. 

Things went from bad, to worse, to abysmal during a first half that saw the visitors make just 9 of 35 first-half shots. 

Despite a spirited third quarter push that cut the deficit from 22 to 11, the Valkyries fell 95-67 at Barclays Center to the undefeated Liberty (4-0). 

Bay Area native Sabrina Ionescu showed no mercy to her hometown team. 

The Walnut Creek native scored eight, had six assists and grabbed five rebounds, flashing the well-rounded skillset that made her a preps superstar at Miramonte high school. She keyed a quick-strike attack that outscored the Valkyries 21-12 on the fast break and 40-16 in the paint. 

“We’re not just giving up twos when we threw the ball away, especially when it’s live … we were giving up threes,” coach Natalie Nakase said after watching her team cough up 23 turnovers and give up 14 3-pointers.

In a homecoming game for former Liberty player Kayla Thornton, who received her championship ring before tipoff, the wing scored 13 points.

“I’m not a very emotional person, but I’ve been crying ever since we landed in New York three days ago,” Thornton said on her homecoming. “There’s a lot of mixed emotions, but happy.”

Kayla Thornton #5 of the Golden State Valkyries poses with former teammates Jonquel Jones #35, Breanna Stewart #30 and Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the New York Liberty before the game at Barclays Center on May 27, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Thornton was a member of the New York Liberty championship team in 2024. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) 

Veronica Burton also scored 13 for Golden State. Breanna Stewart led all scorers with 24 points, and Marine Johannes scored 18 and made six 3-pointers. 

Golden State (2-2) missed the firepower of veteran guard Tiffany Hayes, who was out with a nose injury, one she sustained in the first half of the Valkyries’ victory over the Mystics last week. 

Despite missing their best player, the Valkyries entered Tuesday’s matchup with some momentum, having won games against Washington and Los Angeles. 

That momentum was crushed immediately. 

The Valkyries shot 2 of 18, while their adversaries cruised to a 27-10 advantage after one quarter. 

Liberty superstar Stewart was unstoppable early on, scoring the team’s first nine points as Valkyries wing Janelle Salaün struggled to keep up. 

Whether they ran a 2-3 zone or an aggressive man-to-man, nothing slowed down the Stewart or Johannes, who made three consecutive 3-pointers in the second quarter. 

The Valkyrie defense did stiffen to end the second half, holding the Liberty scoreless for the final three minutes.

Unfortunately for Golden State, New York already led by 21 and the Valkyries could only muster one basket of their own as they went into halftime down 48-29.

“We threw a lot of different schemes out there today too, and I would say we followed it maybe 50% of the time,” said Nakase, who added that the team should have scrimmaged more and rested less. “We’ve got to pay better attention to the details.”

Related Articles

Valkyries seeking third straight win when they face New York Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu on road

WNBA star Caitlin Clark out at least two weeks with injury. Will she be back in time to play the Valkyries?

Fever star Caitlin Clark out at least 2 weeks with left quad strain

Two Marin women announce plans to open the county’s first women’s sports bar

‘We stayed composed’: Five takeaways from the Valkyries’ road win over the Sparks

Golden State’s third quarter push was powered by the team’s ability to draw fouls, which put former MVP Jonquel Jones on the bench with four infractions midway through the frame. 

When Carla Leite sliced to the rim for a lefthanded layup with 2:08 left in the third, Golden State trailed by just 11. 

However, New York responded with a quick flurry to push the lead back to 16 to end the quarter, and the Liberty were not seriously threatened in the fourth as they buried the Valkyries. 

The Valkyries will not be leaving New York anytime soon. They’ll play a rematch on Thursday afternoon at 3:30 PT. 

Kayla Thornton #5 of the Golden State Valkyries is presented her championship ring as former teammate Jonquel Jones #35 of the New York Liberty looks on before the game at Barclays Center on May 27, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Thornton was a member of the New York Liberty championship team in 2024. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)