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Veronica Burton highlighted a productive all-around effort with a game-high 17 points, Janelle Salaun led a relentless defense with three steals and the Golden State Valkyries ran their winning streak to seven with a 79-64 thumping of the Connecticut Sun on Friday night in Uncasville, Conn.
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Salaun also tallied 16 points, a team-high seven rebounds and a block for the Valkyries (17-7), who improved to 4-0 on a five-game trip that ends Wednesday at Indiana.
Diamond Miller had 14 points, Olivia Nelson-Ododa 12, Aaliyah Edwards 11 and Charlisse Leger-Walker 10 for the Sun, who had won three of their previous five games. Leila Lacan ran up a game-high-tying six assists and Nelson-Ododa a game-high eight rebounds for Connecticut.
Despite playing without star Brittney Griner, out for a second straight game with strained right quad, the Sun (5-18) led 23-19 in the game’s 12th minute before Golden State tightened the defensive screws.
The hosts scored just two more points over the final 8:19 of the half — and a total of just six in the second period — as the Valkyries wrestled away the lead for good.
The margin was just five at 49-44 after a Nell Angloma interior hoop with 49.0 seconds left in the third quarter. But Burton converted a three-point play and a layup to double the margin by period’s end, after which Kaila Charles and Burton buried 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter, completing an 11-0 run that opened a 60-44 lead.
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Taking over the chief scoring role in the absence of All-Star Gabby Williams, out with a bruised back, Burton also had six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Salaun’s three steals and Laeticia Amihere’s three blocks highlighted a defensive effort that saw the Valkyries force 22 Connecticut turnovers.
The 64 points were the lowest for the Sun in a home game this season and third lowest at all sites. They shot just 41.4% overall and hit only four of their 16 3-point attempts.
Charles and Tiffany Hayes added nine points apiece and Kaitlyn Chen eight for the Valkyries, who shot 8 of 18 from beyond the arc and 51.7% overall.
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–Field Level Media
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