Valkyries erase double-digit deficit, close preseason with win over Phoenix Mercury

Sunday s championship against the Phoenix Mercury had an all-too-familiar feel for the Valkyries Much like Tuesday s loss to the Los Angeles Sparks Golden State had a sluggish first half in which they couldn t get anything going offensively The opposing club built a sizable lead early in the third quarter before the Valkyries stormed back to make things compelling in the fourth And with minutes remaining the battle was going to be decided by which association could execute down the stretch This time it was the Valkyries who hit the big shots Golden State erased a -point third-quarter deficit to beat the Mercury - on the road in its preseason finale After shooting just of from the three-point line in the first half the Valkyries made s in the final minutes of play The Valkyries ended Sunday s challenge hitting of their -point attempts We like to come off a little bit cold Golden State coach Natalie Nakase revealed I just have to figure out how to get them a little bit more warm in the beginning but I want them to continue to let it fly Migna Tour scored of her game-high points off the bench Starting forward Kayla Thornton had points five rebounds and four steals Guard Carla Leite chipped in points The Valkyries will open the season against the Sparks at Chase Center on Friday We put a few work together as a unit and that has made us grow everyday Tour noted I think in contemporary times is an example of who we are improving to the end and continuing to push Phoenix opened the third quarter with a - run and seemingly looked to have complete control with the Valkyries starters checking out of the competition for good But Golden State s bench unit led by Leite and Tour exposed techniques to knock down shots The Valkyries responded with a - run of their own to cut the Phoenix lead to three capped off by a Leite from the wing With seconds remaining in the period Tour knocked down a three of her own giving Golden State its first lead since the opening minute of the first quarter After an and- -pointer from Leite gave the Valkyries a two-point lead minutes into the fourth quarter the Bay Area company never trailed again and closed the championship with veteran guard Julie Vanloo knocking down four consecutive free throws to ice the meeting I think we shared the ball and located open shots Leite mentioned when questioned what sparked the Valkyries second half comeback Tour makes occurrence for roster spot After playing sparingly in the Valkyries preseason opener Tour looked to be a long shot to make Golden State s final roster But after Sunday the French guard made things a lot tougher for Nakase and Golden State s front office Tour flashed her three-level scoring ability in the win and was the catalyst for the Valkyries comeback in the second half She shot from the field from beyond the arc and had a plus-minus rating of Golden State s roster at the moment sits at and will need to get cut to before Friday s season opener Related Articles Warriors coach Kerr lauds Kuminga s Battle mulls Butler s minutes load Warriors defense comes and goes with Draymond Green in loss to Timberwolves Warriors claim they are not desperate after wasting vintage Playoff Jimmy performance Curry-less Warriors squander big nights from Butler Kuminga in Tournament loss Why WNBA veteran Kayla Thornton is built to lead expansion Valkyries Injury updates Guard Kate Martin missed Sunday s match with a hand injury Nakase explained Martin jammed her finger but doesn t consider the injury to be serious and kept the second-year guard out to be cautious Stephanie Talbot and Cecilia Zandalasini missed their second straight competition and are considered day-to-day