NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Golden State Valkyries defeated the New York Liberty 87-70 on Thursday at Barclays Center before 15,862. Golden State took control early, leading 25-15 after the first quarter and never trailing. The Valkyries shot 28 of 71 from the floor and 13 of 35 from three-point range while holding the Liberty to 26 of 62 shooting and 6 of 24 from deep. Golden State committed only five turnovers compared to New York’s 14. Veronica Burton led a balanced attack with 13 points and seven assists. Gabby Williams added 16 points, and Kaila Charles contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. Breanna Stewart paced New York with 18 points and nine rebounds, and Jonquel Jones finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Golden State improved to 3-1, while New York fell to 3-2. The Valkyries outscored the Liberty in three of four quarters and capitalized on 22 New York fouls by making 18 of 25 free throws. New York shot 12 of 16 from the stripe.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Golden State Valkyries defeated the New York Liberty 87-70 on Thursday night at Barclays Center, using a dominant first quarter and a stifling defensive effort to improve to 3-1 on the season. Golden State opened the game with a 25-15 first quarter, building a lead it never relinquished. The Valkyries shot 13 of 35 from three-point range and forced 14 turnovers, turning them into critical scoring opportunities. New York, which entered the game with a 3-0 record at home, dropped to 3-2 overall. Veronica Burton led the Valkyries with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists in 27 minutes, directing an offense that produced an offensive rating of 110.3 on 79 possessions. Gabby Williams added 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including three 3-pointers, along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes off the bench. Kaila Charles contributed 13 points and 7 rebounds in 24 minutes, and Janelle Salaun finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Kayla Thornton scored 11 points with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Laeticia Amihere added 5 points and 8 rebounds in 13 minutes. Kiah Stokes had 6 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, hitting a key 3-pointer in the second quarter. Tiffany Hayes scored 8 points off the bench. Breanna Stewart led New York with 18 points and 9 rebounds in 30 minutes, shooting 7 of 14 from the field. Jonquel Jones posted 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, though she shot just 6 of 15 and committed two turnovers. Rebekah Gardner scored 12 points and had a steal and a block, and Pauline Astier added 8 points. The game began with Golden State controlling the tempo. After Jonquel Jones opened the scoring for New York with a layup, Veronica Burton answered with a 3-pointer before assisting Gabby Williams on another triple. Williams then hit a 3 of her own from 25 feet to push the lead to 8-0. Kayla Thornton’s pullup jumper made it 10-0, forcing a Liberty timeout. New York responded with a layup from Stewart, but Burton hit a stepback 3 and Charles added a corner 3 to extend the lead to 19-4. Amihere’s driving layup made it 23-7, and Charles’ floating jumper in the lane pushed the margin to 25-9 before the Liberty closed the quarter with a layup from Astier. The second quarter saw both teams struggle offensively, but Golden State maintained its advantage. Williams hit another 3 early, and Charles scored on a driving layup to make it 32-13. Stewart scored 6 points in the period, but the Valkyries closed the half with a 3-pointer from Stokes and led 42-34 at the break. In the third quarter, Golden State expanded its lead. Burton hit a 3, Kaila Charles scored in the paint, and Thornton converted a layup and a free throw after a steal to push the lead to 54-39. Jonquel Jones scored inside, but Janelle Salaun hit three free throws, and Laeticia Amihere added a layup off a feed from Tiffany Hayes to make it 60-42. A layup by Kayla Thornton off a steal gave Golden State a 63-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Liberty could not mount a comeback in the final period. Jones scored on a layup and converted a three-point play, but Janelle Salaun answered with a 3-pointer. Veronica Burton drove for a layup, and Hayes sank a 3 to make it 73-55. Williams nailed a 3 from 27 feet for a 78-59 lead with 4:39 remaining. New York’s bench narrowed the gap slightly, but Golden State’s defense held the Liberty to 24 points in the quarter, matching their own output. Golden State shot 28 of 71 from the field, 13 of 35 from 3-point range and 18 of 25 from the free throw line. New York shot 26 of 62 from the field, 6 of 24 from beyond the arc and 12 of 16 from the line. The Valkyries committed only 5 turnovers and forced 14, a differential that proved decisive. They also outrebounded New York 29-28, led by Charles’ 7 boards. The victory marked Golden State’s second straight win after a loss to Chicago on May 13. New York saw its three-game winning streak snapped. The game was played before an announced crowd of 15,862. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York 92, Golden State 72, with the Liberty given a 69.90 percent probability to win via its ELO system. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 7.5 points. The total score of 87 went over the over-under line of 166.5.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Interstat) — Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty host Kiah Stokes and the Golden State Valkyries in a WNBA matchup Thursday night at Barclays Center. New York (3-1) enters the game winners of two of its past three, while Golden State (2-1) looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season. Stewart, a two-time WNBA MVP, has been productive through four games. In the Liberty’s 100-82 win over Portland on May 14, the forward logged 28 minutes and recorded 22 points, seven rebounds and one assist. She followed a 16-point, 10-rebound, four-assist effort in a 96-98 loss to Portland on May 12, and scored 23 points with nine rebounds and four assists in a 98-93 overtime win at Washington on May 10. Stewart opened the season with a 31-point, 10-rebound, two-assist performance in a 106-75 rout of Connecticut on May 8. Stokes, Golden State’s center, has been a force defensively. In the Valkyries’ 63-69 loss to Chicago on May 13, she played 29 minutes and posted seven points, 11 rebounds, two assists and five blocks. Stokes played 24 minutes in a 91-80 win at Seattle on May 8, recording six points, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks. She also contributed one point and three rebounds in 13 minutes during a 95-79 win over Phoenix on May 10. Golden State’s most recent game came May 13 at home, falling 69-63 to the Chicago Sky. Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 18 points and five rebounds, and Veronica Burton added 16 points and four assists. New York’s last outing was a 100-82 victory over Portland on May 14. Pauline Astier scored 20 points, and Rebekah Gardner added 14 points and five assists. The Interstat game simulator projects a 92-72 victory for the Liberty. Following Thursday’s game, Golden State travels to Indiana on May 22. New York next hosts Dallas on May 24.