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WNBA
Burton, Valkyries Rout Sun 89-64
By Smacktok
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Veronica Burton had 12 points and 7 assists as the Golden State Valkyries beat the Connecticut Sun 89-64 on Wednesday in Uncasville. ESPN's box score listed Burton at 5-of-9 shooting, 3 rebounds, and a plus-24 in 20 minutes. Golden State improved to 27-11. Connecticut fell to 10-28.
The Valkyries led 26-11 after one quarter and 55-27 at halftime. They shot 34 of 63 from the field (54 percent), made 10 of 25 threes, and finished with 24 assists and 10 blocks. The Sun shot 22 of 71 (31 percent) and 6 of 31 from three. CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports carried the same 89-64 final and the same quarter scores: 26-11, 29-16, 25-25, 9-12.
Who led the Valkyries past the Sun?
Janelle Salaun led Golden State with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 4 of 6 from three, in 18 minutes. Kaila Charles added 14 points and 8 rebounds. Kaitlyn Chen scored 10. Gabby Williams had 9 points. Kiah Stokes had 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Cecilia Zandalasini scored 7. Burton ran the first unit and posted the game's best plus-minus among the starters.
Charlisse Leger-Walker led Connecticut with 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 4 assists. Nell Angloma scored 11 off the bench. Aaliyah Edwards and Diamond Miller each scored 8. Brittney Griner (left knee) and Olivia Nelson-Ododa (right knee) were listed as DNP on the ESPN box.
What the Valkyries win means
Golden State entered the night chasing the top seed on a five-game trip, CBS Sports wrote before tip. The 25-point win kept that chase alive and pushed the Valkyries to 27-11. Connecticut dropped to 10-28 and has now been outscored by a wide margin in both meetings with Golden State this season, based on the CBS preview's earlier 97-70 and 79-64 results.
Wednesday was a new WNBA final, not a rerun of Tuesday. Dallas had already clinched the last playoff spot, covered in the Paige Bueckers Wings recap. Washington had beaten Phoenix as Kelsey Plum returned, covered in the Mystics-Mercury recap. This one was Golden State's road blowout, with Burton's 12 and 7 as the starter line and Salaun's 15 as the scoring lead.
The fourth quarter was the only period Connecticut won, 12-9, after Golden State had already built a 30-point cushion. No late Sun run changed the result. The sourced box is 89-64, 54 percent shooting for the Valkyries, and 10 blocks.
Valkyries vs Sun FAQ
What was the Valkyries vs Sun final score? Golden State won 89-64 on Wednesday in Uncasville.
How many assists did Veronica Burton have? She had 7 assists and 12 points in 20 minutes, per ESPN.
Who scored the most points for Golden State? Janelle Salaun led the Valkyries with 15 points. Kaila Charles had 14 and 8 rebounds.
