LA Sparks vs Golden State Valkyries game player stats and box score for May 16 | 2025 WNBA season

The LA Sparks and the Golden State Valkyries crossed swords on the opening night of the 2025 WNBA season in style at a packed Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday night. The highly anticipated matchup marked the Valkyries’ official WNBA debut, with fans turning out in full force to support the league’s newest franchise.

The Sparks opened the game with a starting lineup of Rickea Jackson, Dearica Hamby, Azura Stevens, Odyssey Sims and Kelsey Plum. On the other side, the Valkyries began their inaugural contest with Kayla Thornton, Kate Martin, Temi Fagbenle, Veronica Burton and Tiffany Hayes.

The opening quarter featured efficient shooting from both teams. After a back-and-forth start, the score was knotted at 13-13. The Valkyries briefly pulled ahead with a quick four-point run, only for the Sparks to respond immediately and tie things up again at 17-17.

Painful scenes ensued in the first quarter when Rae Burrell was carried to the locker room after suffering a brutal knee injury.

Fagbenle and Hayes combined for 14 points as the Valkyries took a 20-19 lead at the end of first quarter. For the Sparks, Stevens led the scoring punch with eight points while Plum chipped in with six points.

Plum and Stevens maintained their offensive intensity, while Dearica Hamby and Rickea Jackson stepped up in the second quarter to provide additional firepower. The Sparks erased their two-point first-quarter deficit and entered halftime with a narrow three-point lead.

The third quarter belonged to veteran point guard Kelsey Plum, who proved she hasn’t missed a beat. The former Aces star erupted for 17 points in the penultimate period, propelling the Sparks to a 66-60 lead heading into the final quarter.

Julie Vanloo looked locked in as she ignited the Chase Center with a stunning display of long-range shooting. The Belgian guard caught fire, draining three consecutive 3-pointers and injecting life back into the Valkyries’ offense, bringing them right back into the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Sparks took full control, effectively sealing the game and snuffing out any hopes of a Valkyries comeback. Plum continued her dominant performance, adding nine more points to her tally and finishing with a game-high 37 points. Her efforts powered the Sparks to a commanding 84-67 victory.

LA Sparks vs Golden State Valkyries player stats and box score

LA Sparks

Player	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FGM	FGA	FG%	3 PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	TOV	PF	Plus/Minus
Rickea Jackson	35:14	13	5	3	1	1	5	15	33.3	3	6	50	0	0	-	0	5	4	2	12
Dearica Hamby	35:38	14	10	1	3	0	6	12	50	0	1	0	2	3	66.7	2	8	2	3	18
Azurá Stevens	32:24	11	5	0	4	2	4	7	57.1	0	2	0	3	4	75	0	5	0	2	11
Odyssey Sims	30:33	7	1	6	2	1	2	6	33.3	0	2	0	3	3	100	1	0	0	3	25
Kelsey Plum	40:00	37	2	6	5	0	11	19	57.9	4	6	66.7	11	11	100	0	2	2	2	17
Rae Burrell	0:41	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	0	1	-2
Sarah Ashlee Barker	13:32	2	2	1	0	0	1	3	33.3	0	2	0	0	0	-	0	2	2	0	-1
Mercedes Russell	11:58	0	2	2	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	2	1	1	5
Emma Cannon	0:00	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	0	0	0
Sania Feagin	0:00	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	0	0	0

Golden State Valkyries

Player	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FGM	FGA	FG%	3 PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	TOV	PF	Plus/Minus
Kayla Thornton	34:17	6	4	1	1	0	3	11	27.3	0	6	0	0	0	-	1	3	1	2	-17
Kate Martin	20:37	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	2	2	100	0	0	1	0	-9
Temi Fágbénlé	31:38	15	5	4	2	0	6	8	75	2	4	50	1	1	100	2	3	1	3	-17
Veronica Burton	17:13	2	2	3	2	0	0	4	0	0	2	0	2	2	100	2	0	1	0	-6
Tiffany Hayes	30:21	19	9	1	1	1	7	16	43.8	2	5	40	3	3	100	2	7	4	4	-21
Carla Leite	11:50	2	1	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	3	0	2	3	66.7	0	1	3	2	9
Monique Billings	23:18	7	8	0	0	1	2	7	28.6	1	4	25	2	2	100	1	7	2	1	-8
Julie Vanloo	27:06	14	4	2	1	0	5	11	45.5	4	10	40	0	0	-	1	3	6	3	-16
Kyara Linskens	3:40	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	-	0	0	1	1	0