The Phoenix Mercury, holding a 1-0 record in the Western Conference, travel to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Valkyries, who also start at 1-0 in conference play. This matchup follows Alyssa Thomas’s impressive 20-point performance that powered the Mercury to a 99-66 victory over the Las Vegas Aces.
Reflecting on last season, the Valkyries posted a 14-8 home record and finished 9-15 in Western Conference action. Defensively, they allowed opponents an average of 76.3 points per game while holding them to 40.5% shooting from the field. Meanwhile, the Mercury wrapped up the previous campaign with a 27-17 overall mark, including 13-11 in the West. Phoenix’s defense gave up 80.1 points per game, and the team committed 17.8 fouls per contest.
Injury updates include Valkyries’ Iliana Rupert (out due to pregnancy) and Juste Jocyte (out for non-injury reasons). For the Mercury, Sami Whitcomb (knee), Valeriane Ayayi (non-injury), and Monique Akoa Makani (non-injury) are all sidelined.
