Game 4 wrap: Liberty blast Valks early by 25; GSV storms back to within 11, but fade in the fourth

Bring on the Thursday rematch!

GSV’s Official By The Numbers

Golden State 67, New York 95

By the Numbers

• Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton each had 13 points, and Burton added a season-high six assists. Thornton, who played two seasons in New York and received her 2024 WNBA Championship ring before the game, had six rebounds and four steals.

• Temi Fágbénlé scored 11 in her fourth start of the season, and Kate Martin contributed a season-high 10 points off the bench, giving Golden State four players in double figures for the third time this season.

• Golden State shot 57.1 percent (8-14) from three in the second half, and a season-best 35.5 percent (11-31) from deep in the game.

• The Valkyries recorded a season-high 16 assists on 21 made field goals.

• Stephanie Talbot got her first start of the season, posting two points, six rebounds and two assists.

• Golden State outscored the Liberty 41-40 in the second and third quarters, outrebounding New York, 22-17 in those frames.

• New York forced 23 turnovers, and had 32 points off turnovers.

Apricot’s Game Summary

Scoreboard was ugly, but

• NYL came out with fiery shock and awe start to go up 25

• GSV settled down behind usual strong D and stormed back to within 11, great fightback

• But GSV wore down at the end playing 9 with two starters out (Hayes, Billings)

• GSV will be defiant and angry for Thu rematch, the awe is gone

Apricot’s In-Game Notes

• Yes, even if the result is a beatdown, this will be a great measuring stick for the defense. Unfortunately, the rematch make-up exam is just a couple of days later, but anyway.

• Refugium noted in last thread that Temi Fagbenle has committed to join the Great Britain Eurobasket team. She will miss the June games at least.

  Linskens fans rejoice, she may get all she can eat! Billings, when healthy, might get run at center, as she'll be the tallest remaining along with Linskens.

  Note that Ingemi says Fagbenle is in NY with GSV, so Temi has not left yet.

• May have to wait until Jun 26 to see that… I would guess that Temi gets matched up with Jones all game.

• Marisa Ingemi‬ ‪@mingemi.bsky.social‬ says:

  [[

  gameday in Brooklyn. Hayes is wearing a mask on the court and Billings is out there and shooting

  ]]

• FYI

  Game Status Report:

  Monique Billings – OUT – Right Foot

  Tiffany Hayes - OUT - Nose

  Cecilia Zandalasini - OUT - Right Foot

  Valkyries Starting Lineup

  F – #5 Kayla Thornton

  F – #7 Stephanie Talbot

  F - #13 Janelle Salaün

  C - #14 Temi Fágbénlé

  G - #22 Veronica Burton

  So, Vanloo out as starter, Talbot in.

• Painful start... Thornton gets slammed and wrenches her neck. GSV halfcourt offense COMPLETELY clogged up by NYL. GSV defense scrambled in counter attack.

  GSV tries the surprise zone, NYL gets a 3 after an OREB.

  Will be interesting to see the adjustments.

• Kind of cruel, Linskens checks in, NYL instantly goes to a 2-3 zone. NYL slicing up the D with top notch 4-out offense, usually ending in an open corner 3. Gonna be a lot of film on this.

• Q1.1.34. GSV goes 2-3 zone and gets immediately sliced up with a very disciplined quick swing to the weak side with 2 on 1. Open corner 3

  But getting stops leads to GSV's running game which gets GSV to 8 points.

  Can really feel the talent difference. NYL's lineup is so stacked. It might be that almost everyone on the roster would start for GSV.

  Vanloo in. The offense is showing signs of life, but Leite misses an open layup. More swinging the ball to the weak side when help comes to the middle.

  Feels like there *might* be a chance to creep back into it if GSV can settle down.

• Marine Johannes -- a kind of rich person's Vanloo, and who is Juste Jocyte's hero by the way -- makes her patented running one legged 3. Ouch but also cool to see. Then makes a fancy skip pass to the corner, then hits a 3. Fun for NYL to bring off the bench a mini-Steph to demoralize you. "Fun."

• Johannes steals a lazy inbound, 3. Then she chucks a wild pullup 3 in Salaun's face -- make.

• Unfortunately NYL starting to attack inside too. But also feels like GSV has settled in a bit, it's just NYL is making crazy shots. Also feels like GSV is getting somewhere with the high pick and rolls.

• This is the part of the adventure where the hero realizes they are outclassed and they have to calm down, level up and get stronger. Only question is whether it happens today, Thursday or at the end of June (or never).

• Shock and awe for sure. Will be interested to see if GSV gives up or defiantly fights to the end.

• GSV are getting open shots now in offense. They're just missing them because... we aren't good shooters. But we COULD make the open shots. There's still a way to come back if they can just figure out the interior defense.

  Fagbenle is the only one who can stop NYL drivers inside. Maybe Thornton. But their assigned stand at the arc and threaten a handoff or screen, so they have to communicate to coordinate who rotates into the paint. So far, that's been very scrambled. This results in smalls like Leite rotating who have no chance to stop Stewart. Of course if GSV sends too many people to help, then there are open 3s on the weak side.

  NYL O has definitely exposed this problem.

• Fagbenle with a bad entry pass for a turnover, but then blocks Jones on the other end.

  GSV is not backing down and are getting stops. Thornton outfights Fiebich for a rebound. But Salaun misses a layup.

  I don't even want to look at Janelle's shooting line... Feels like 1-12. Okay, let's see the right answer.... 2-9. And both were 3s.

  Note, she's often put in position to have to shoot. So you love the goldfish memory of a scorer: forget the past, the next one is going in. But that only counts towards the moral victory.

• All credit to Burton who has continued to drive into the paint and get beat up. Fearless. Then stayed with Cloud on her drive. Great counter attack drive, then muffed the open layup, leading to the counter attack 3.

• J Jones is mad as hell. She thought she got fouled on one end, then disputed the foul on O, then got the T.

• GSV finally starting to attack Cloud inside. 3rd foul for NC.

  I *think* NYL dropped into a 1-2-2 zone, which is just mean. Great skip pass to Thornton for a 3.

  Still scrapping...Burton hits a 3, then she gets a steal and foul on the other end. Down to 18.

• Beautiful backdoor cut by Fagbenle, pass from Burton. DOWN TO 14.

  Shock and awe has run out. Now it's a question of whether GSV's unpredictable new-team execution and shooting can cash in the stops they are getting.

• oh yeah, I forgot that a KT 3 was after the buzzer. Actually down 17 now. Oooof, got the instant steal by Burton (have you noticed I keep saying her name) and a 2-on-1 but a charge. OOOOOF

• It's kind of unfair that the massive Jonquel J can step out and hit 3s. Burton with ANOTHER steal. DOWN TO THIRTEEN.

• Burton looking a little tired, coughs up a turnover. I didn't like that Salaun made VB take that. Leite in

• Okay, you asked for it. Linskens defends Jones at point blank range, stops 3 layups but fouls on the last one. And JJ misses a FT so that was a good foul.

• Leite just snatches it from Ionescu, then counterattacks fast. Linskens gets picked up by a small in the scramble, Leite gets her to post up and back in, and then whips by for a layup. ELEVEN. Very proud of the fight and competitiveness.

• Youth giveth and it taketh away. Leite turns it over on the wing pick and roll with Linskens.

• Then Linskens gets a very light foul called that sends JJ to the line. Then hoists a 3... I don't think that's her game, but she was open. Goddess of Chaos Vanloo draws a chaotic foul on her OREB attempt.

• Leite goes by Jones like a traffic cone but can't finish. Q3 ends down 16. A definitely moral victory. Let's see if it can become an actual victory in Q4. Will need keep getting turnovers and for at least one scorer to get hot.

• Vanloo heating up a bit to score 5 straight to nudge back to 15 down. But then... NYL brings out the surprise trap... Cloud with the fancy runner. Down 20. GSV still fighting hard but not smart. Turnovers. NYL has gone up a gear in intensity on both ends.

• Burton with another steal for a fast break 3. But Stewart is going nuts to seal this. Salaun with some super ill advised passes also. NYL is intercepting all the skip passes to the corner that worked before. Adjustments will come for Thursday.

  The scoreboard is ugly, but GSV fought even with NYL since they got bombed into a 25 point deficit and NYL tried clowning them.

• I think GSV will come out of this game angry and ready for a rematch on Thursday. NYL has all the experience, talent and depth advantages, but I don't think GSV is intimidated anymore.