Zandalasini Closes Out the Dream 77-75.

What a difference a couple of days makes. The Sun may have come down on the Valkyries, but the team proved one bad day doesn’t define the next.
Coming off their worst loss of the season just two days earlier, the Golden State Valkyries bounced back in a big way, defeating the Atlanta Dream 77-75. This win, over one of the WNBA's top teams, was sealed in thrilling fashion by Cecilia Zandalasini’s late-game heroics on both ends of the court.

With 3.0 seconds remaining and the game tied at 75, Zandalasini nailed a clutch baseline jumper to give Golden State the lead. The play was drawn up during the timeout, and the team executed it to perfection. “It was the action the coach drew on the board, so everybody just executed, and I was able to get space and take that shot,” Zandalasini said.

The Dream had one last chance to respond, but Brittney Griner’s contested jumper from 18 feet barely grazed the rim, allowing the Valkyries to celebrate a hard-earned victory.

Zandalasini’s game-winner capped off a night in which she tied her career high with 18 points and posted a career-best eight rebounds. The forward was lights out from deep to start, going 3-for-3 from three-point range, and remained a steady presence all night.

Four other Valkyries also started perfect from beyond the arc including Veronica Burton (2-for-2), Tiffany Hayes (3-for-3), Carla Leite (2-for-2), and Kate Martin (1-for-1).

Known affectionately as "Ceci" among her teammates, her impact wasn’t limited to offense. It was her defensive play just before the game-winning shot, a crucial steal where she tumbled to the ground and gave an over the shoulder pass to Temi Fágbénlé from the ground, that helped the Valkyries regain possession in a tense final minute.

Head coach Natalie Nakase praised Zandalasini’s reliability and growth, especially in the absence of veteran Kayla Thornton. “She was rolling tonight,” Nakase said postgame. “I leaned to Kasib [Powell], ‘Who should I draw this for?’ He goes, ‘Hey, draw for Ceci,’ and sure enough we drew a play. Everyone held space or did what they were supposed to do — just credit for Ceci, man. That was a big-time shot.”

The win was not just about one player, though. Golden State delivered a true team effort. Tiffany Hayes, returning to her old stomping grounds where she spent a decade as a Dream fan favorite, scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Hayes also tied her season-high with five assists and was pivotal in the third quarter, where she went 3-for-3 from deep, helping the Valkyries to a 30-point explosion in the frame.

Veronica Burton added 10 points and four rebounds, continuing her perfect free-throw streak this season with a 2-for-2 performance from the line, the 11th time she’s been flawless from the stripe this year.

Carla Leite came off the bench to contribute 12 points in just 18 minutes, giving the Valkyries four players in double figures and helping the bench produce a dominant 39-16 scoring edge.

The Valkyries’ shooting efficiency was also a key factor in the win. They shot a scorching 51.7 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range in the first half, and finished 11-of-26 (42.3 percent) from long range for the game, their second-best mark this season.

The game itself was filled with momentum swings and officiating discrepancies. After taking a 69-56 lead into the fourth quarter, thanks to a 21-6 run to close the third, the Valkyries had to withstand an Atlanta surge.

The Dream clawed their way back and took a 75-73 lead with just over three minutes remaining, following a three-point play from Jordin Canada, who finished with 21 points and eight assists. But Zandalasini quickly responded by tying the game at 75-75, making the pivotal steal, and then sealing the win in the final seconds.

“We were talking about resilience,” Hayes said. “It felt really good to do that, especially on the road, and without two of our big leaders. So kudos to us, it was a whole team win, and we handled business.”

Coach Nakase echoed that sentiment. “We talked about playing with complete heart,” she said. “We just stuck together. We kept believing. It was a great team win.”

The victory marks a statement rebound from Sunday’s blowout loss to Connecticut and proves the Valkyries are capable of responding to adversity with unity and toughness.

Against a Dream squad that had just snapped Minnesota’s 14-game home winning streak and beaten Golden State earlier in the season, this game not only served as redemption, it was also a sign of the Valkyries’ ability to shake off a bad performance and take down one of the league’s best.

UP NEXT

• Golden State plays in the lone WNBA game on Thursday, July 31 versus the Washington Mystics at 4:30 p.m. PT on KPIX, KMAX, Amazon Prime, and the Audacy App.
• For tickets, news, and more team updates, visit valkyries.wnba.com.