The Guru’s WNBA Report: Expansion Golden State Tops Washington to Move Ahead of Mystics by a Half-Game into Last Playoff Slot; Maddy Siegrist Returns to Dallas as Wings Host Indiana Downtown at American Airlines Arena

Updated in look ahead with New York officially announcing signing and arrival of Emma Meesseman, who will play Friday night at Connecticut. Though reported before Breanna Stewart’s injury, the arrival is major help during Stewie’s absence.

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

If you’re part of the expansion Golden State Valkyries, when it comes to the final bell qualifications in early September determining who gets in the playoffs by the slimmest of margins and who gets moved to lottery row, the WNBA’s lone game Thursday night with a 68-67 symbolic victory at Washington is one to remember and for the Mystics one to regret.

There would be other contests across the season for both teams to smile and wince but a one-point win that brought the Valkyries (13-13) record to .500 and the last berth at eighth a half-game over the Mystics (13-14) played before a crowd of 4,200 at CareFirst Arena could be a boost for the winners  who continue a back-to-back Friday night at Chicago at 7:30 p.m., one of ION’s five-game package, and create a mood bummer on the other side, especially how it ended.

That playoff implications could be labelled on this game between two teams picked at the bottom in the preseason is a result of Golden State guided by Natalie Nakase, the first Asian American coach in the WNBA, who came from the Las Vegas staff’s two championships and is managing a team without a marquee star.

Washington is part of a total remake top to bottom under former Princeton men’s coach Sydney Johnson in charge of the league’s youngest roster.

The Valkyries, who recently lost All-Star Kayla Thornton to a season-ending injury and trying to be the first team in the WNBA to make the postseason in their debut year of operation, jumped to a 30-20 lead in the first quarter and hit the half ahead 46-34.

Washington then shaved five points off the deficit out of the break in the next period to head to the final 10 minutes trailing 62-56.

It went on to be anyone’s game, and definitely a must win for both in the crowd around the last playoff spots.

In fact, for the moment the only must win designated different from the other nine teams fighting for berths is at first-place Minnesota (23-5), which is striving to extend its five-game lead further over the pack.

Though the end came for Washington when leading scorer Brittney Sykes’ missed shot bounced off the rim just before the buzzer, the lost opportunity began after Temi Fagbenle put Golden State up 66-65 with 5:34 left in regulation.

The Valkyries then shot blanks from the field until Janelle Salaun connected on a layup with a minute left in the tight contest.

The Mystics next missed a go-ahead shot from deep with 37 seconds left and the visitors then grabbed the rebound and dribbled time away until calling a huddle with three seconds left.

Saluaun then missed inside but the Valkyries got the offensive board only to turn it over allowing Washington to call time to advance the ball.

Then came Sykes’ game-ender.

Former Iowa star Kate Martin scored 14 points while Northwestern graduate Veronica Burton had 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Iliana Rupert added 11 points, all by halftime, while Fagbenle scored 10. Former UConn star Tiffany Hayes became the 42nd player in the league to play 10,000 minutes.

Washington’s All-Star rookie tandem continued to shine; Sonia Citron had 16 points while Kiki Iriafen and veteran Shakira Austin each scored 10 points. Rookie Lucy Olsen, a second round pick out of Villanova and Iowa and native of Collegeville, played 13 minutes and was 2-for-5 with five points along with an assist.

Across the two halves the Mystics, trailing by as many as 17 points after the break, rallied on a 14-2 run and went ahead with 7:20 left in regulation on Emily Engstler’s 3-pointer but then matched Golden State with their own scoring famine.

Of her team’s success above forecasts, Nakase said, “I'm the person about being present and being where your feet are. If you could guess the eight teams, could you guess them and be 100% guaranteed? No.”

She said of the last few minutes, “That just showed our defense … our toughness. Not only that but being gritty. Being on the road, not everything going our way, we still stayed connected.”

Johnson’s emphasis was on guarding the three considering the Valkyries are the league leaders in attempts and still shot the ball well in the first half.

“We had a few mix ups there which the players owned it,” he said. “They were really locked in, understanding we were not quite where we needed to be.

“Second half, those two quarters just much better in terms of knowing what we wanted to do with Rupert and a little bit better in transition.”

Added Citron, “Our defense fueled us, and we played great when we're playing in transition and we get to run the floor. We just made that adjustment. We know they like to shoot threes so just trying to make it more difficult and take that away.”

Second-year pro Aaliyah Edwards has missed four games for Washington with a right wrist injury, which is now healed but Johnson said she still needs more conditioning.

The Mystics are off until visiting fourth place Atlanta on Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN 3 while Golden State will have played three of four days coming out of Chicago visiting Las Vegas at 6 p.m. the same day.

Looking Ahead

Former Villanova star Maddy Siegriest, the overall third pick of the 2023 draft being the NCAA leading scorer and who is the area’s all-time women’s scorer and second combined with the men’s collegians in Division I, returns for Dallas Friday night after missing most of the season with a fracture in her right knee.

Four of the five Friday starts on the league slate airing on ION have 7:30 p.m. tips while 10th place Los Angeles (11-15) which is two behind Golden State plays at 10 p.m. at Seattle (16-11) which is in a fourth-place tie with Atlanta (16-11) at 1.5 behind second-place New York (17-9) and a half-game behind Phoenix (16-10).

Dallas (8-20), now up to 11th but in a statistical tie with Chicago (7-19) 15 games behind Minnesota (23-5) and six behind the last playoff spot, are hosting sixth place Indiana (15-12), which is on a three-game winning streak as Caitlin Clark remains sidelined with a second groin injury, and who will miss her 15th game off an earlier groin and quad pairs of injuries.

She was out in the last Indiana visit when Dallas moved the game from the the arena at Texas-Arlington to downtown to the larger NBA Mavericks’ American Airlines Arena and will be sidelined Friday.

Chicago ran into the same situation in two games with Indiana moved to the NBA Bulls’ United Center but still sold out both games.

The visiting Fever are just 2.5 games behind second-place New York, 1.5 behind Phoenix, and a game behind Atlanta and Seattle but one ahead of seventh-place Las Vegas (14-13).

In other Friday games, defending champion New York on a three-game losing streak, gets a break visiting last-place Connecticut (4-21) and staying to play the Sun again two days later at 1 p.m.

The Liberty announced Wednesday All-Star Breanna Stewart will be out until near the playoffs unless a quicker recovery from a bone bruise on right knee occurs.

On Friday morning New York announced with a bunch of kind words from general manager Jonathan Kolb that Jaylyn Sherrod, a member of last season’s champions, has been waived.

Shortly thereafter the Liberty made the official announcement and arrival and signing of Belgian post player Emma Meesseman, who is finally got her visa situation resolved. She’s been a past league standout and will debut in Friday’s Connecticut game.

In other Friday games, Phoenix is at Atlanta, both teams locked in the high end of the standings, but the visiting Mercury is on a slide.

On Saturday in the lone game Minnesota, now five games up on New York, is at Las Vegas at 3 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+.

On Sunday, other parts of the five-game package not already mentioned has Indiana at Seattle at 3 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+, and Phoenix at Chicago at 6 p.m.