Valkyries instant analysis: Golden State suffocates Sparks in dominant win

SAN FRANCISCO - The Los Angeles Sparks entered Monday's game with one of the most electric offenses in the league.

Behind the WNBA's leading scorer Kelsey Plum, bonafide star Nneka Ogwumike and All-Star Dearica Hamby, the Sparks have averaged just over 90 points a night.

But on Monday, the Valkyries made the Sparks' first trip to the Bay Area a living nightmare.

The Valkyries won their third straight game, defeating the Sparks 78-58 behind a suffocating defensive performance.

Plum, who averages 26.6 points per game, was held to nine points on 3-for-10 shooting from the field.

“It was a lot of team effort. That’s what we asked from everyone tonight,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “You can’t just stop Plum just with her matchup alone. So it was good that we’re throwing her different coverages, different looks.”

The Sparks shot 33% from the field and hit just three of their 21 3-point attempts.

Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 16 points and four rebounds. Kaila Charles added 13 points in 21 minutes off the bench. Veronica Burton finished with 12 points.

Rae Burrell led the Sparks with 13 points.

Golden State led by as much as 24 as it cruised to a win and improved to 9-5.

The Valkyries made a point to not let the Sparks get going early.

Golden State built a 15-point first-quarter lead by forcing the Sparks into multiple contested, late clock jumpers. Los Angeles shot 3-for-16 through the first 10 minutes and had just 10 points.

In the second quarter, the Valkyries used a 10-0 run to take a 45-26 lead at halftime.

Los Angeles made a small run in the third, outscoring the Valkyries 21-16. But the Valkyries' lead was just too big to overcome.

The Valkyries forced Plum to foul out at the 4:25 mark of the fourth quarter, effectively ending the Sparks night.

Charles produces off the bench

Charles has seen her minutes get cut since she was taken out of the starting lineup for Cecilia Zandalasini.

But on Monday night, she turned in her best game of the season.

The former Maryland standout hit 5-of-7 of her shots from the field, including knocking down 2-of-3 3-point attempts.

She finished the game with a plus-minus rating of +13.

“Kai brings a different level of energy that sometimes I feel like every time I watch her play, it’s a new level of energy,” Nakase said. ”

Kate Martin returns

In her first game back since being waived by the Valkyries, the former Iowa standout played 11 minutes and was a solid contributor on defense.

She hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter to cut the Valkyries' lead to 16.

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 9:37 PM.