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Janelle Salaun came off the bench for 26 points as the Golden State Valkyries held off the short-benched Toronto Tempo 83-75 on Wednesday in Toronto.
Reserve Kaitlyn Chen added 16 points as Golden State (16-7) extended its win streak to six games. Kayla Thornton nearly had a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Isabelle Harrison scored 24 points as Toronto (9-12) dropped its third straight. She added eight rebounds.
Marina Mabrey had 11 points a day after being named the Tempo’s first-ever WNBA all-star. She also had six rebounds and four assists.
Toronto players Brittney Sykes (left plantar fascia), Kiki Rice (ankle sprain), and Temi Fagbenle (concussion) all missed the game due to injury.
Sykes and Mabrey were dubbed “million-dollar backcourt” after signing big free agent contracts with the Tempo in the off-season but Sykes has missed seven consecutive games.
Takeaways
Valkyries: The hottest team in the WNBA was able to show off its depth in the victory. Golden State used all of its players except guard Juste Jocyte, with its bench outscoring Toronto’s 52-20. That long bench paid off in the fourth quarter when the Valkyries outscored the Tempo 26-16 after Toronto held a 59-57 lead at the end of the third.
Tempo: Inconsistent play through the second and fourth quarters caught up with Toronto. Although Sykes and Rice’s absences were keenly felt as the Valkyries were able to put more pressure on Mabrey, the absence of Fagbenle’s six-foot-five frame was the biggest hole in the Tempo’s game.
A career-high 24 points from Toronto’s Isabelle Harrison wasn’t enough as Janelle Salaun put up a career-best 26 for Golden State to power the victory.
Key moment
Golden State held a 44-31 lead with 8:55 left in the third but a Toronto 15-2 run over a four-minute span erased that gap. Julie Allemand’s step-back jumpshot gave the Tempo their first lead in two quarters.
Key stat
Golden State dominated the glass, outrebounding the hosts 31-23, including 11-4 on offensive boards.
Up next
Tempo: Travel to Montreal where they will host the Dallas Wings on Friday.
Valkyries: Visit the Connecticut Sun on Friday.
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