FINAL · GAME DETAIL
Golden State Valkyries
vs Phoenix Mercury
One game ID connects the final, quarter flow, leading player lines and season position.
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS | 18 | 28 | 20 | 23 | 89 |
| PHX | 21 | 13 | 26 | 31 | 91 |
GAME FLOW · NUMBERS
Reconstructing the game from the quarter line
Phoenix Mercury finished ahead of Golden State Valkyries, 91-89, a 2-point margin. The first-half totals were 46 for Golden State Valkyries and 34 for Phoenix Mercury; the third- and fourth-quarter totals were 43 and 57. The combined final of 180 matches the sum of the two quarter lines across 4 periods, including any overtime.
1Q: GS 18-PHX 21, 18-21 cumulative; 2Q: GS 28-PHX 13, 46-34 cumulative; 3Q: GS 20-PHX 26, 66-60 cumulative; 4Q: GS 23-PHX 31, 89-91 cumulative. Reading the period score beside the running score identifies exactly when the gap expanded or contracted. Golden State Valkyries's highest-scoring period was 28 points, while Phoenix Mercury's high was 31; the final separation was 2 points.
The first-half margin was 12 points, compared with 14 across the third and fourth quarters. Splitting the final this way preserves two distinct parts of the game instead of reducing it to one score. The quarter table above provides the same sequence as team scores and cumulative totals for direct comparison.
BOX SCORE READ
Team indicators and leading player lines
Golden State Valkyries recorded 41% from the field, 36% from three and 79% at the line; Phoenix Mercury posted 49%, 31% and 74%. Rebounds finished 33-34, assists 24-19 and turnovers 7-10. The same team box reports a 38-40 split in paint points and 13-6 in offensive rebounds.
Cecilia Zandalasini led Golden State Valkyries with 16 points. Kaila Charles supplied a team-high 10 rebounds, while Veronica Burton led with 5 assists. For Phoenix Mercury, the corresponding leaders were Kahleah Copper with 27 points, DeWanna Bonner with 10 rebounds and Alyssa Thomas with 8 assists.
The player tables contain minutes, points, rebounds, assists, shooting and on-court differential for 9 recorded participants from GS and 9 from PHX. Reading those rows beside the team totals connects the final score, shooting efficiency and possession outcomes to specific player production without substituting an unsupported judgment for the box score.
SEASON CONTEXT · 2026
Locating both teams through standings and head-to-head results
In the current table, Golden State Valkyries are 19-9, No. 3 overall and No. 3 in the West, 4 games behind the conference leader. Phoenix Mercury are 11-19, No. 12 overall and No. 7 in the West, 13 games back. Their cumulative point differentials are +147 and -100.
Counting only completed standard-season results through this game, Golden State Valkyries stood at 19-9 across 28 games and Phoenix Mercury at 11-18 across 29. Their most recent sets of up to five finals were 3-2 and 3-2. Scoring in those short windows was 412-389 for the away team and 432-434 for the home team, keeping recent form separate from the full-season record.
Across 3 completed meetings in the same season, Golden State Valkyries recorded 2 wins and Phoenix Mercury 1; aggregate scoring was 271-251. The teams are separated by 9 places in the overall order and by 8 cumulative wins. Standings, the recent five-game window and the season series cover different sample sizes, so they are presented as three numerical views of the same matchup rather than collapsed into one rating.
Team box score
| Stat | GS | PHX |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | 41 | 49 |
| 3P% | 36 | 31 |
| FT% | 79 | 74 |
| Rebounds | 33 | 34 |
| Assists | 24 | 19 |
| Turnovers | 7 | 10 |
| Paint points | 38 | 40 |
Golden State Valkyries
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veronica Burton * | 34 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 6-10 | 5 |
| Kaila Charles * | 29 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 4-7 | 1 |
| Kayla Thornton * | 25 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 2-7 | 6 |
| Cecilia Zandalasini * | 23 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 6-17 | 11 |
| Kiah Stokes * | 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1-2 | -6 |
| Janelle Salaun | 24 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 2-5 | -2 |
| Tiffany Hayes | 23 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 4-12 | -3 |
| Laeticia Amihere | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 4-7 | -13 |
| Kaitlyn Chen | 12 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2-9 | -9 |
| Gabby Williams | RETURN TO COMPETITION RECONDITIONING | – | – | – | –-– | – |
| Nadia Fingall | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |
| Juste Jocyte | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |
Phoenix Mercury
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alyssa Thomas * | 38 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 10-14 | 3 |
| DeWanna Bonner * | 34 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 3-8 | -2 |
| Kahleah Copper * | 34 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 9-14 | 4 |
| Noemie Brochant * | 19 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1-2 | -16 |
| Monique Akoa Makani * | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-3 | -4 |
| Valeriane Ayayi | 23 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1-2 | 17 |
| Natasha Mack | 18 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3-4 | 9 |
| Sami Whitcomb | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-4 | 11 |
| Lexi Held | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-4 | -12 |
| Marta Suarez | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |
| Kyara Linskens | COACH'S DECISION | – | – | – | –-– | – |