Washington Mystics vs Golden State Valkyries Player Stats and Box Score - May 21 | 2025 WNBA Season

The Golden State Valkyries won their first-ever game 76-74 on Wednesday after handing the Washington Mystics their first loss of the season. Veronica Burton had a career night, finishing with 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. She went 6-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range, and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Kayla Thornton also had a huge game with 18 points, five rebounds and two steals, while Janelle Salaun put up 10 points in her first start. Kate Martin was scoreless in nine minutes off the bench, with Carla Leite providing a spark by scoring 10 points.

Meanwhile, Brittney Sykes continued her amazing start to the campaign, with 30 points, five rebounds and four assists. Sonia Citron struggled with her shot but managed to get 10 points and eight rebounds. Kiki Iriafen had her second straight double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

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Washington Mystics vs. Golden State Valkyries Player Stats and Box Score

Mystics

Players	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	+/-
Kiki Iriafen	10	12	0	0	0	0	2	31	5-11	0-0	0-0	-11
Stefanie Dolson	4	5	3	1	0	2	4	19	2-6	0-1	0-0	-6
Brittney Sykes	30	5	4	1	0	2	4	33	8-19	3-5	11-14	2
Sug Sutton	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	14	0-2	0-1	0-0	-4
Sonia Citron	10	8	1	1	1	1	2	35	3-11	2-6	2-2	-9
Emily Engstler	3	2	1	1	1	1	1	6	1-2	0-1	1-2	3
Shakira Austin	2	4	0	1	0	5	1	10	1-1	0-0	0-1	11
Sika Kone	3	0	1	0	0	2	2	14	1-5	0-1	1-1	-1
Lucy Olsen	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	10	1-4	1-3	1-2	6
Jade Melbourne	8	7	6	1	0	4	3	28	3-5	1-2	1-1	-1

Valkyries

Players	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	+/-
Kayla Thornton	18	5	1	2	1	1	4	27	5-14	2-8	6-6	19
Janelle Salaun	10	4	0	1	0	3	2	28	4-11	1-4	1-1	0
Temi Fagbenle	6	7	2	4	0	2	5	27	3-10	0-2	0-0	6
Tiffany Hayes	2	1	1	0	0	0	1	13	0-4	0-2	2-2	4
Veronica Burton	22	9	5	2	0	3	2	29	6-11	3-4	7-8	0
Stephanie Talbot	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	8	0-2	0-2	1-2	-6
Monique Billings	7	3	1	1	0	0	2	23	3-7	0-3	1-3	-6
Julie Vanloo	0	2	2	0	0	1	0	13	0-4	0-4	0-0	-9
Kate Martin	0	3	0	0	1	0	2	9	0-2	0-2	0-0	-15
Carla Leite	10	2	3	0	0	0	4	21	2-7	1-6	5-6	17
Kyara Linskens	DNP

Note: These are the player stats and box score for the first half.

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Washington Mystics vs. Golden State Valkyries Game Summary

The Washington Mystics visited the Chase Center to take on the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday, as part of the WNBA's three-game slate. The Mystics went into the game with a 2-0 record, while the Valkyries were looking for the first win in franchise history.

Coach Sydney Johnson fetched his starting lineups from the first two games of the season, featuring rookies Sonie Cintron and Kiki Ariafen. They were joined by veterans Brittney Sykes, who has been the team's best player so far, Stefanie Dolson and Seg Sutton.

On the other hand, coach Natalie Hakase removed fan favorite Kate Martin from her starting five and replaced her with Janelle Salaun. The rest of the starters remained, including Kayla Thornton, Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes and Temi Fagbenle.

Both teams struggled to make shots in the first half, with the Washington Mystics taking a 31-30 lead at halftime. The Golden State Valkyries kept themselves in the game in the third quarter before a high-scoring final period brought a lot of energy to the crowd.

Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton came up clutch to put the game away for the Valkyries. Brittney Sykes missed a crucial free throw late, which gave the hosts the breathing room they needed. Sonia Citron cut the lead to just two points with about four seconds left, but the Mystics failed to communicate and let the Valkyries run out the clock.