Four Golden State "Huskies" Score in Double-Figures, Bueckers Continues Hot Streak

The Golden State “Huskies”

It was a UConn showcase in the Bay Area on Friday night after all four former Huskies on the Golden State Valkyries scored in double digits in the team’s 78-75 win over the Atlanta Dream.

Gabby Williams led all Husky scorers with 16 points, including 13 straight in the final 3:31 of the ball game. Kiah Stokes posted season-highs in both points (13) and blocked shots (7). The 13 points are just the second double-digit scoring game for Stokes since the 2021 season and is the most she has finished in a game since she had 15 points on September 12th, 2020 when she was with the New York Liberty. Kaityln Chen also contributed 13 points, and Tiffany Hayes totaled 12 points and a season-high five assists.

With the Valkyries trailing 65-63 with under four minutes to play, Williams hit a two-pointer on an assist from Hayes to tie the game at 65. After a pair of free throws and a layup by Williams, she connected on a 10-foot pull-up jump shot to give the Valkyries a 71-69 lead with 1:39 to play. On the next Valkyries possession, Williams converted a layup and then went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line in the final 64 seconds of the game. 

Overall, former UConn players accounted for 28 out of the 32 final points for the Valkyries. Seven of those basket/free throws either tied or gave Golden State a lead.  

Breanna Stewart honored by former team

Breanna Stewart did not play in the New York Liberty’s 99-88 loss to the Seattle Storm on Thursday night due to rest. It's the first game Stewie has missed this season. She is averaging 32.9 minutes per game, tying for the sixth most in the WNBA and putting her on pace to log her highest average since her second season in 2017.

Before the game, the Storm honored Stewart with a “welcome back” tribute video three years after leaving Seattle. Stewie was selected first overall by the Storm in 2016, won Rookie of the Year that season and league MVP in 2018, and led Seattle to WNBA championships in 2018 and 2020. This was the fifth time Stewart returned to the Emerald City since joining the Liberty back in 2023. In previous trips, the Storm never officially recognized the former Husky’s accomplishments, but that changed on Thursday night. 

Stewart was emotional while watching the video on the jumbotron, which included a message that said, “Three years ago we missed… and we wanted to get it right.” 

Meanwhile, the victory for the Storm snapped a league-high 11-game losing streak. Both Katie Lou Samuelson and Stefanie Dolson scored two points each off the bench for Seattle.

Breanna Stewart vs Golden State “Huskies”

Stewart returned to the floor on Sunday night in the New York Liberty’s 76-67 loss to the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco. Stewie scored a “Husky” high 15 points behind 4-of-11 shooting but did go a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Tiffany Hayes and Kaitlyn Chen each scored eight points and combined for four assists. The Valkyries’ leading scorer, Gabby WIlliams was held to just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. Kiah Stokes finished with one point, four rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.

The 76 points are the fewest the Liberty have scored all season, as they have now lost four of their last five games, dropping to 12-8 on the season after winning a season-high eight games. Meanwhile, the Valkyries extended their win streak to three games and now hold a 13-7 record.

The Liberty will get ready to host the Las Vegas Aces in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship game on Tuesday. The Valkyries will have a chance to rest up before their next game on Saturday July 4^th at the Atlanta Dream.

Paige Bueckers/Azzi Fudd 

Despite Paige Bueckers scoring 25 points in each of the last two games, the Dallas Wings both dropped contests, falling to the Las Vegas Aces 99-84 on Thursday night and 85-77 to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday afternoon.

It's the third straight 20+ point game for Bueckers, as she scored 27 points this past Monday in an 112-110 overtime win against the Seattle Storm. The former Husky star has now scored 20+ points in 10 out of 17 games so far this season.

Fudd recorded her fourth such game against the Lynx after scoring 21 points on 9-of-23 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three. The 23 field goal attempts are a career-high for Fudd.

The Wings are now 0-3 against the Lynx this season, who have the best record in the WNBA at 15-4. The Wings are tied for sixth with the Indiana Fever with an 11-8 record.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa/Aaliyah Edwards

Olivia Nelson-Ododa has been in the starting lineup for each of the Connecticut Sun's last two games. Since the change, the Sun have earned back-to-back wins for the first time this season, capped by Friday night's 68-57 victory over the Washington Mystics. Nelson-Ododa, who recorded her first double-double of the season this past Monday in the Sun’s 92-63 win against the Chicago Sky, nearly made it back-to-back double-doubles. The 2022 First Team All-Big East member scored 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in her fifth start of the season. She also finished with three blocks in 30 minutes, both season-highs.

Aaliyah Edwards, who has come off the bench in each of the last two games after starting her first 11 this season, scored six points and grabbed five rebounds in 18 minutes.

Three of the Sun's four victories this season have come at home. 

Kia Nurse

The back-to-back 2015 and 2016 national champion recorded two straight double-digit scoring games for the first time this season. On Thursday, Nurse registered 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three and 4-of-4 from the free throw line in a 125-97 Toronto Tempo win over the Los Angeles Sparks. The 125 points are the second-highest single-game total in WNBA history and the highest-scoring performance in Tempo history. Toronto is 5-0 this season when they score at least 100 points in a game.

Then on Saturday, Nurse posted another 12 points, including three triples, in her first start of the season. The three threes are the most she has made in a game since hitting a season-high six shots from behind the arc back on May 21st against the Lynx. The Tempo fell to the Phoenix Mercury, 89-84.

Azura Stevens

On Friday night, Azura Stevens finished in double figures for the third straight game after scoring 12 points behind a season-high three threes in the Chicago Sky’s 124-94 victory against the Portland Fire. The 124 points is a franchise record and tied for the third most ever in WNBA league history. 

Then on Sunday, Stevens put together her best game of the season after scoring a season-high 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three and 5-of-7 from the free throw line in the Sky’s 107-99 loss to the Las Vegas Aces.

It is a delightful sight to see Stevens shooting well from behind the arc over the last two games because overall it has been a struggle so far this season. Coming into the weekend, Stevens was just 6-of-40 from three (15%) in her first 12 games of the season. This type of slump is unusual for Stevens, who owns a 34.0% career mark from three-point range and hit a near career-high 38.1% last season with the Los Angeles Sparks. According to a Chicago Sun Times report, Sky Head Coach Tyler Marsh and General Manager Jeff Pagliocca have been working with Stevens recently on her three-point shot,

Marsh, a former player-developmental specialist for the Las Vegas Aces, does not normally conduct one-on-one training sessions with his players, but he felt the importance of working with Stevens. “Obviously, in this world, being a head coach, it’s a little bit harder to find individual time to be on the floor, especially in a season, so you try to pick and choose and find the moments for it,” Marsh explained.

Well, Marsh picked the perfect moment, as Stevens is 6-of-12 from three over the last two games. The Sky head coach noted a few small things with the former Husky, including her footwork. Pagliocca, a former skills trainer who was seen feeding Stevens passes before the Sky’s game this past Monday against the Connecticut Sun, has emphasized to Stevens the importance of staying focused when she gets open. 

The loss on Sunday snapped a two-game winning streak. The Sky’s next game will be on Friday, July 3rd against the Las Vegas Aces at 10pm ET.

Serah Williams (Portland Fire)

• FRIDAY: 6 points (3-6 FG, 0-2 FT), 1 assist in 11 minutes. The Fire lost to the Chicago Sky 124-94.

• SUNDAY: 4 points (1-3 FG, 2-2 FT), career-high 7 rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench. The Fire lost to the Washington Mystics 124-123 in four overtimes.

Stefanie Dolson (Seattle Storm)

• THURSDAY: 2 points (1-1 FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists in 13 minutes. The Storm defeated the New York Liberty 99-88.
• SATURDAY: 5 points (2-2 FG, 1-1 3-FG, 1-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists in 13 minutes. The Storm defeated the Atlanta Dream 105-90.

Katie Lou Samuelson (Seattle Storm)

• THURSDAY: 2 points (0-1 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds in 13 minutes. The Storm defeated the New York Liberty 99-88.
• SATURDAY: 2 points (0-4 FG, 0-3 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists in 17 minutes. The Storm defeated the Atlanta Dream 105-90.

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