SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — Gabby Williams scored 25 points and the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Dallas Wings 91-80 on Wednesday night at Chase Center. Williams added four assists and three rebounds. Kaitlyn Chen contributed 15 points, Janelle Salaun added 12 and Veronica Burton had 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists for Golden State, which improved to 10-5. Arike Ogunbowale paced Dallas with 21 points and three assists. Paige Bueckers tallied 15 points and eight assists, while Jessica Shepard posted 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Wings fell to 9-6. Dallas opened with a 26-17 first quarter but managed only seven points in the second period as Golden State took control. The Wings rallied with 29 points in the third quarter, but the Valkyries answered with 27 in the fourth to seal the win. Attendance was 18,064.

SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — Gabby Williams scored 25 points and the Golden State Valkyries used a devastating second-quarter run to defeat the Dallas Wings 91-80 on Wednesday night at Chase Center. The sellout crowd of 18,064 saw the Wings take a 26-17 lead after the first quarter, but the Valkyries dominated the second period, outscoring Dallas 27-7 to take a 44-33 halftime advantage. Dallas rallied in the third quarter, posting 29 points to Golden State’s 20 to pull within 64-62 entering the fourth. The Valkyries steadied themselves in the final period, scoring 27 points to Dallas’ 18 to secure the victory. Williams, a forward from Sparks, Nevada, shot 7 of 14 from the field and made three free throws in the final minute to put the game out of reach. She also grabbed three rebounds and dished four assists in 29 minutes. Veronica Burton added 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and one block in 33 minutes. Kayla Thornton finished with 11 rebounds and eight points, while Kaitlyn Chen scored 15 points and Janelle Salaun contributed 12 points and four rebounds off the bench. For Dallas, Arike Ogunbowale led all scorers with 21 points, adding two rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. Jessica Shepard recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go with four assists. Paige Bueckers had 15 points, three rebounds and eight assists, and Sug Sutton chipped in nine points in 13 minutes. The turning point came in the second quarter, when Dallas managed only seven points — its lowest scoring period of the season. The Wings missed 11 of their first 12 shots in the quarter, while Golden State’s Gabby Williams and Kayla Thornton ignited a 14-2 run that flipped the game. Williams hit a 24-foot 3-pointer off a Veronica Burton assist at the 5:48 mark, and Thornton followed with a 24-foot triple of her own 36 seconds later, giving the Valkyries a 38-29 lead. Dallas showed resilience in the third quarter, outscoring Golden State 29-20 behind Ogunbowale’s 10 points and three steals. A 9-0 run capped by a Sug Sutton 27-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer pulled the Wings within two points. But Golden State answered in the fourth, with Kaitlyn Chen scoring seven points and Williams converting three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt with 7:07 left. The Valkyries stretched the lead to double digits and never let it slip below six points in the final three minutes. Dallas’ Jessica Shepard recorded her third double-double of the season, but the Wings committed 16 turnovers and shot 5 of 18 from 3-point range in the second half. Golden State shot 46 percent from the floor and converted 18 of 22 free throws. The Wings dropped to 9-6 with the loss, while the Valkyries improved to 10-5. Dallas had won two of its previous three games, including a 96-66 victory over Las Vegas on Monday, but struggled to generate consistent offense against a Golden State defense that forced eight steals. The Valkyries had won four of their last five, with their only blemish a 84-79 loss at Las Vegas on June 6. Notable performances included Veronica Burton’s near triple-double and Kaitlyn Chen’s efficient 7-of-11 shooting. For Dallas, Paige Bueckers dished eight assists but shot 5 of 14 from the field. Arike Ogunbowale, the Wings’ leading scorer, averaged 15.5 points over her previous four games but erupted for 21 on Wednesday, including a 7-for-7 showing from the free-throw line. Key plays in the fourth quarter underscored Golden State’s poise. After Dallas cut the lead to 77-74 on an Azzi Fudd 3-pointer with 4:37 to play, Kaitlyn Chen answered with a driving layup. Burton then hit a 28-foot 3-pointer for a 82-74 advantage with 7:50 remaining. The Wings never got closer than six points thereafter, and Williams calmly sank four free throws in the final 42 seconds to seal the win. Dallas heads next to Chicago to face the Sky on Saturday, while Golden State hosts Minnesota on Friday. The Wings’ upcoming 10-game stretch includes road trips to Seattle, Las Vegas, Connecticut and New York. The Valkyries will travel to Las Vegas, then host Atlanta before a six-game road swing. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Golden State 94, Dallas 83, and its ELO system gave the Valkyries a 73.80 percent chance to win. Golden State was installed as a 2.5-point favorite. The teams combined for 171 points, going over the over/under line of 166.5.

SAN FRANCISCO (Interstat) — The Dallas Wings and Golden State Valkyries, both sporting 8-5 records, square off Wednesday night at Chase Center in a pivotal WNBA matchup that could determine early-season positioning in a tightly packed standings. Dallas (8-5) enters on the heels of an 83-84 loss at Portland on Saturday, a game in which forward Jessica Shepard posted 13 points and 14 rebounds. Shepard has been a consistent force for the Wings, averaging a double-double over her past nine games. In that span, she recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists against Las Vegas on May 28, and followed with four more double-doubles, including a 22-point, 15-rebound effort at Los Angeles on June 5. The Wings’ offense revolves around Shepard’s interior presence and the perimeter scoring of guards Arike Ogunbowale (22 points, 6 rebounds vs. Portland) and Azzi Fudd (18 points in that loss). Golden State (8-5) rides a two-game winning streak after a 76-72 road victory at Seattle on Friday. Forward Janelle Salaun led the Valkyries with 22 points and 7 rebounds in that contest. Salaun has scored at least 11 points in six of her past seven games, including 17 points at Minnesota on June 4, and has been a reliable two-way contributor. The Valkyries also lean on guards Veronica Burton (11 points, 8 assists at Seattle) and Tiffany Hayes (17 points vs. Seattle) to fuel their balanced attack. The Valkyries have been strong at home, while the Wings have split their last four road games. A simulation by Interstat projects a 94-83 Golden State victory, but both teams have shown resilience in close contests. Following Wednesday’s game, Dallas returns home to face Chicago on June 20, while Golden State hosts Minnesota on June 19.