Getting your
Trinity Audioplayer ready...WASHINGTON (AP) — Kaitlyn Chen scored 14 points off the bench and the Golden State Valkyries shut down the Washington Mystics 62-49 on Monday night for their fifth straight victory.
Golden State (15-7) set a franchise record for the fewest points allowed in a game. The Valkyries held the Mystics to 18-of-60 shooting (30%), including 3 of 24 from 3-point range. The Mystics’ 49 points were also the fewest points in a WNBA game this season.
“We created 17 total turnovers for 14 points,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase told reporters after the game. “That’s attention to detail in terms of our defense.”
Chen made six of her nine shots in just 21 minutes to help Golden State’s bench players reach 39 points. Veronica Burton was the Valkyries’ highest-scoring starter with seven points.
Former Stanford star Kiki Iriafen had 12 points and nine rebounds for Washington (10-10), which had won five of its previous seven games. Shakira Austin had 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Mystics were without starter Sonia Citron (knee) for a second straight game.
Golden State pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring Washington 19-7 for a 50-40 lead. Chen completed a three-point play with 8:12 remaining in the fourth for a 55-40 lead, the largest of the game.
“We’ve been talking a lot about our defense and how we have to rely on our defense every night, and so in the second half we locked in on the game plan,” Nakase said. “We allowed 22 paint points in the first half, and then it took another step.”
The Mystics were held to nine points in the fourth.
Golden State scored its fewest points in a game this season.
Up next
Golden State: At Toronto on Wednesday.
Washington: Hosts Seattle on Sunday.