TORONTO Janelle Salaun came off the bench to score 26 points as the Golden State Valkyries beat the short-benched Toronto Tempo 83-75 on Wednesday.
Reserve Caitlin Chen added 16 points and Golden State (16-7) extended its winning streak to six games. Kayla Thornton nearly had a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Isabelle Harrison scored 24 points as Toronto (9-12) lost its third straight. She added eight rebounds.
Marina Mabry scored 11 points on the day after being named the first WNBA Tempo Star. She also had six rebounds and four assists.
Toronto players Brittney Sykes (left plantar fascia), Kiki Rice (ankle sprain) and Temi Fagbenle (concussion) missed the game with injuries.
Sykes and Mabry were dubbed the “million dollar backcourt” after signing big free agent contracts with Tempo in the offseason, but Sykes missed seven straight games.
Valkyries: The WNBA’s hottest team was able to show off their winning depth. Golden State used all of its players except guard Juste Jocit, who outscored Toronto’s bench 52-20. That long bench paid off in the fourth quarter as the Valkyries outscored Tempo 26-16 after Toronto led 59-57 late in the third quarter.
Pace: Inconsistent play in the second and fourth quarters caught up with Toronto. While the absences of Sykes and Rice were keenly felt as the Valkyries were able to put more pressure on Mabry, the absence of six-foot-five frame Fagbenle was the biggest hole in Tempo’s game.
Golden State led 44-31 with 8:55 left in the third, but Toronto’s 15-2 run in four minutes erased that margin. Julie Allemand’s jump-back shot gave Tempo their first lead in two quarters.
Golden State dominated the match, outscoring the hosts 31-23, including 11-4 on offense.
Pace: Head to Montreal where they host the Dallas Wings on Friday.
Valkyries: Visit the Connecticut Sun on Friday.