'Family' Lifts Valkyries to Victory over Fever, 75-63. Magic Number Down to One.

SAN FRANCISCO — In the words of Vin Diesel from the Fast & Furious franchise, "There's nothing stronger than family."

The Golden State Valkyries climbed into the thick of the postseason hunt, reducing their magic number to three with five games remaining after an emphatic 75-63 victory over the Indiana Fever at Chase Center.

At 21-18, the win capped a season sweep of the Fever with the Valkyries taking all three meetings between the two clubs. It also marked Golden State’s third straight win and moved them from eighth to sixth in the playoff race while knocking Indiana down a rung.

This game didn’t get off to a conventional start. A power outage earlier in the day caused technical issues with the arena’s shot clocks, resulting in multiple stoppages and a lengthy delay in the opening minutes. With the Fever briefly ahead 3-2 when play ground to a halt, both teams were forced to wait more than half an hour before temporary clocks were set up and action resumed.

Impressively, the fans and players alike were left to wait and entertain themselves during this lengthy delay. Many fans danced on the jumbotron while Kaitlyn Chen and teammates amused each other reminiscent of close friends and family on a long bus trip.

Rather than cooling the home side’s energy, the disruption only seemed to spark the Valkyries, as Golden State erupted with four straight three-pointers.

The French duo of Iliana Rupert and Janelle Salaün struck from deep with a barrage that triggered a 6-0 run and quickly built a double-digit lead.

Salaün would add another triple, while the team finished the opening quarter a scorching 7-for-8 from behind the arc. That accuracy tied their most threes in a single quarter and placed them among the few teams in league history to shoot above 85 percent from three on at least seven attempts in a frame.

By the end of the period, Golden State held a 25-14 advantage and had already written another line in the franchise record book.

The sharp shooting didn’t stop there. On the night, the Valkyries finished an eye-popping 9-for-12 from distance in the first half (75%) and 12-for-19 overall (63%), a number that proved decisive given the Fever’s struggles from long range. Indiana managed just 3-for-18 on threes in the first half (17%) and 6-for-30 overall (20%), a lopsided difference that highlighted the contrasting styles and execution.

Rupert led the way, hitting 5-of-8 from deep and finishing with a career-high 21 points on 8-for-12 overall shooting. The performance was a personal breakthrough for her and a showcase of Golden State’s expanding offensive versatility.

Supporting Rupert’s big night was point guard Veronica Burton, who orchestrated the offense with precision, leaving her fingerprints all over the Valkyries’ long-range success.

She tallied a game-high 13 assists, reaching double digits in dimes for the seventh time this season. Six of those assists came on Golden State’s three-pointers, a reflection of her playmaking vision and willingness to set up teammates in rhythm.

Kate Martin also provided contributions at pivotal moments. Martin chipped in 10 points, delivering one of the game’s most critical sequences. Early in the fourth quarter, with the Fever having trimmed the deficit to just five points and momentum threatening to shift, Martin drained a three from the wing in front of the Fever bench while drawing contact. The foul was upgraded to a flagrant, and after she converted the free throw, Golden State retained possession.

Rupert scored on the ensuing play, sparking an 11-0 run that pushed the lead back to a comfortable 16. The burst effectively ended Indiana’s comeback hopes and secured the win.

Indiana, still missing Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark due to injury, leaned on former Valkyries forward Aerial Powers, who came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points.

Kelsey Mitchell added 14 and Natasha Howard finished with 13, but the Fever were undone by poor perimeter shooting and a quiet night from Aliyah Boston, who managed only four points, nearly 12 below her season average.

Even without Clark, the Fever drew plenty of Bay Area celebrities connected to the WNBA's biggest star. Sitting courtside, fans spotted 49ers tight end George Kittle with his wife, Claire Kittle, as well as 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and his celebrity fashion designer wife, Kristen Juszczyk. George and Claire both attended the University of Iowa, where Claire played four years on the women’s basketball team.

Kristin Juszczyk is very well-known amoung "Swities" having created designs for Taylor Swift and other celebrities like Simone Biles and Taylor Lautner. In addition, Kristin recently branched into women's basketball with a new WNBA-inspired collection in August 2025

Afterward, during the player and coach postgame press conference, both Kate Martin and head coach Natalie Nakase highlighted the team’s ability to hit what they called "family shots", unselfish plays and rhythm looks created through trust and ball movement.

Nakase stated, "We call it family shots when we're looking for someone like the hot hand. It's just knowing when who to go to at the times of where and what they're giving us in terms of coverage."

Martin, when asked directly about family shots, replied, "It's just like getting the extra one. We just have a higher percentage of making them and um yeah, we keep talking about family shots, good to great, and I think we've been doing that really well."

That theme captured the night perfectly, as Golden State rewarded its fans by playing one of its most complete games of the season, combining sharpshooting, chemistry, enthusiasm and clutch plays to seize control of the playoff race.

For the Valkyries, Sunday’s result was more than just a win, it was another statement that they are finding their stride at the perfect time and doing so as one solid unit, as a family.

UP NEXT

• The Valkyries continue their final home stand of the season hosting the defending champion New York Liberty at Chase Center on Tuesday, September 2 at 7 p.m. PT on KPIX+, KMAX, KION, 95.7 The Game, and the Audacy App.
• For tickets, news, and more team updates, visit valkyries.wnba.com.