Game 2: Golden State Valkyries vs Washington Mystics, 7:00 PM PDT.

win or lose, it will be a party

I will attend as credentialed media, so if you have any ideas for questions for me to ask coaches or players, let me know in the comments.

How to watch

• KPIX+ (Bay Area), KMAX (Sacramento)

  • In the Bay Area, KPIX is channel 5, and KPIX+, the home of Valkyries basketball, is channel 44 (cable 12). In Sacramento, KMAX is channel 31, and KOVR is channel 13.

• (I think not on ION, available on Fubo and YouTube TV and elsewhere)

• WNBA League Pass if you are out of the blackout region

GSV Injury report

• Stephanie Talbot - QUESTIONABLE - Right Quad

• Cecilia Zandalasini - OUT - Right Foot

  What to expect

From the Valkyries:

• High energy

• Fast pace

• Aggressive defense

• Three-point shooting

• Five-out sets

Richard Cohen on the Mystics:

Mystics training camp got off to a painful start when Amoore suffered an ACL injury. The team don't seem to have officially called it a tear yet, but have said she's out indefinitely and the general assumption is that she's done for the season. Because that happened while she was with her WNBA team, they can't suspend her like New York did with Betnijah Laney-Hamilton or Seattle with Jordan Horston and Nika Mühl. Washington's options were essentially to cut Amoore and give up all rights to the player they just selected at No. 6 overall in this year's draft, or keep her on the roster and work with 11. Especially given this always looked like a rebuilding year for the Mystics, they unsurprisingly chose to hold on to her.

However, WAS has come out of the gates fast, going 2-0 to top the WNBA. WAS is kind of scarier than they look!

• Rookies Citron (#3 pick) and Iriafen (#4 pick) stepped right in as starters and look like they belong.

  • Yes, those are the two picks right before GSV’s #5 pick. Oh well. GSV was on track to get one of them, but then Olivia Miles, consensus #2 pick, went back to school.

  • Georgia Amoore was another promising rookie but she'll miss the whole season with an ACL tear.

    • Our 2025 Valkyries draft preview

• Brittney Sykes has been pouring in points and leading the team.

• Aaliyah Edwards is solid but she'll miss two weeks.

• GSV catches them early before they gel, so let's hope we can take advantage. They might be having the same growing pains as GSV due to the newness of their roster.

Oversimplified guide to the Valkyries roster

• Probable Starters, slightly scoring challenged but feisty defenders

  • #15 Tiffany Hayes. Lightning bug driver, unstoppable in the open court.

  • #5 Kayla Thornton. Key bench player for the champion Liberty, vet all-around forward.

  • #14 Temi Fágbénlé. Decent scoring all around, solid vet center.

  • #22 Veronica Burton. Solid point guard, excellent defender and ball-stealer but has been steering a sluggish starting lineup.

  • #20 Kate Martin. The most popular player, Iowa teammate of Caitlin Clark. Secondary playmaker. Limited WNBA experience, had good flashes in 3v3 Unrivaled.

    • Stephanie Talbot was penciled in as the 5th starter but she’s been injured. GSV tried Billings in preseason and Martin in Game 1. This starting slot could be unpredictable.

• Entertaining Bench, slightly chaotic

  • #25 Monique Billings. sturdy scorer and rebounding vet

  • #0 Carla Leite, youngest at 21 y.o., was 2024-25 EuroCup Finals MVP. Promising, but out of control in opener. Promised NOT to leave for Eurobasket, a commitment that has won my heart.

  • #35 Julie Vanloo. Goddess of Chaos, inventive and ambitious playmaker

  • #31 Kyara Linskens. Solid rebounding machine, a classic center.

• Haven’t Played Yet (see Injury Report above for updated availability)

  • #7 Stephanie Talbot. Vet wing who can shoot the 3. Has been out with an injury.

  • #13 Janelle Salaün, Just arrived in USA with a fresh Finals MVP from Italian championships, but also with no practice.

  • #24 Cecilia Zandalasini. Another vet wing who can shoot the 3. Has been out all training camp with right foot issue.