Valkyries seek first win as unbeaten Washington Mystics visit Chase Center

SAN FRANCISCO After losing their season opener to the Los Angeles Sparks the Golden State Valkyries will try again for their first win in franchise history But it won t be easy Wednesday night not with the surging Washington Mystics coming to town Despite finishing in the bottom third of the league last season the Mystics have surprisingly won their first two games behind solid play from a core of young players They re going to want to play their match and we re going to have to play our battle Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase noted We can t be somebody that we re not We just have to make sure we take care of the ball and not give them extra possessions Washington won its season opener at home over the Atlanta Dream - on Friday and then won on the road over the Connecticut Sun - on Sunday Stopping guard Brittney Sykes will be key for the Valkyries The -year-old has been a force for thus far averaging points and six assists She has shot free throws Against the Sparks Golden State had trouble defending point guard Kelsey Plum another experienced ballhandler who scored points and made all of her free throw attempts in an - achievement on Friday at Chase Center Defending without fouling was a big thing for us Nakase mentioned L A had eight more free throws so that s a big thing for us Washington has also gotten contributions from rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen Citron the third overall pick in last month s draft is second on the club in scoring while shooting from the field and from beyond the arc Iriafen is making her return to the Bay Area after playing her first three collegiate years at Stanford before transferring to USC In Washington s win over Connecticut she recorded her first WNBA double-double points rebounds The Mystics have great players especially the two rookies they have Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton mentioned We just have to make sure we lock into our challenge plan and execute what we have to do Turnovers ultimately cost the Valkyries the chance to beat the Sparks All nine players who got onto the court for Golden State turned over the ball at least once LA won the turnover battle - We have to take care of the ball center Kyara Linskens declared If we limit that and focus on crashing the boards I think we will be good The Valkyries also struggled to defend the paint against a bigger Sparks organization Golden State gave up points in the paint in the first half Related Articles Warriors key offseason dates Contract deadlines free agency and more What we learned from Valkyries season-opening loss to L A Sparks Valkyries second-half comeback falls short as Golden State drops season opener to L A Sparks Expansion Valkyries make history with WNBA opener at Chase Center Bay Area vs L A Valkyries Sparks to ignite California rivalry on WNBA s opening night Washington poses a similar threat with Iriafen and -foot- center Stefanie Dolson in the starting lineup But more size could be on the way for the Valkyries Forward Stephanie Talbot who missed Friday s season opener and both of Golden State s preseason games participated in Tuesday s practice French forward Janelle Salaun was absent against the Sparks for rest reasons but also took part in practice Nakase revealed they will reevaluate both players after Wednesday s shootaround but getting on the practice court is a big step Both players are forwards who can shoot -pointers and defend at all three levels