The Golden State Valkyries host the Dallas Wings on Friday night at the Chase Center. Tipoff is set for 10:00PM ET. Golden State is 10-12 and currently ninth in the WNBA standings. Dallas enters at 7-17, ranking seventh in the West.
These two teams last played on June 17, with Dallas winning 80-71 at home. Since that loss, Golden State has fallen further behind in the playoff chase with three straight defeats. Dallas has gone 6-6 since that win, trying to play more consistent basketball with a young roster.
Valkyries Preview – Defense Keeps Them Close, But Offense Struggles
Golden State is 7-4 at home but just 3-8 on the road. Their most recent game was a 67-58 loss at Seattle, where the offense failed to score more than 17 points in any quarter. In their last three games, they’ve averaged just 79 points, down from their season average.
Kayla Thornton leads the team in scoring (14.0) and rebounding (7.0). Veronica Burton runs the point and adds 8.1 points and 4.2 assists per game. Temi Fagbenle adds 8.6 points and 6.1 rebounds. All three are also among the team leaders in steals and help anchor a defense that allows just 78.0 points per game.
The Valkyries rank last in the league in field goal percentage defense (40.1%) and also give up the fewest field goals per game. They force teams into bad shots and don’t foul much. But their own offense ranks 11th in shooting and 11th in threes made per game, which continues to be the main issue holding them back.
Wings Preview – Young Core Tries to Build Momentum
The Wings are 3-10 on the road this year. Their 87-63 win over Seattle was just their second road win since May. They shot 51% from the field in that game and had 22 assists to just 9 turnovers.
Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers form the core of the Dallas offense. Ogunbowale leads the team in scoring and has now topped 20 points in five of her last nine games. Bueckers continues to lead all rookies in both scoring and assists and has now hit the 300-point, 100-assist milestone in just 19 games.
Dallas ranks fifth in the league in rebounding and first in offensive rebounds per game (11.3). That helps make up for their low shooting percentage (41.7%). The Wings also rank top three in defensive rebounds and have several players who contribute on the glass, including Li Yueru and Leonie Geiselsoder.
Betting Prediction
Golden State is a 3.5-point favorite with the total set at 159.5. The Valkyries are strong at home and play solid defense, especially against teams that shoot poorly from deep. Dallas ranks near the bottom of the league in both shooting percentage and three-pointers made, which plays into Golden State’s strength.
Dallas did beat Golden State by nine in their last meeting, but that was at home and before Golden State tightened up defensively. The Wings have struggled away from home and may not shoot well against the Valkyries’ halfcourt defense. This should be a low-scoring game, and Golden State is likely to win and cover in a bounce-back spot. Predicted score: Golden State 76, Dallas 70.
Pick: Golden State -3.5
