WNBA Liberty And Valkyries Stay Undefeated In Early Season Action

The New York Liberty and Golden State Valkyries both moved to 2-0, each winning behind strong three-point shooting. New York edged the Washington Mystics 98-93 in overtime, while Golden State defeated the Phoenix Mercury 95-79, as both expansion-era clubs continued impressive early WNBA form.

New York secured victory despite missing All-Stars Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally for a second straight game. Marine Johannes hit six shots from beyond the arc and finished with 25 points, and Breanna Stewart added 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in a complete all-round display.

Undrafted rookie Pauline Astier played a major role in the Liberty triumph, contributing 18 points along with seven assists and five rebounds. Astier also collected two steals, giving New York another playmaking option with Ionescu unavailable and helping the Liberty stay perfect through two games.

Ionescu, a four-time All-Star, averaged 18.2 points last season and led New York with 5.7 assists per game. Ionescu is expected to remain sidelined for at least another week because of a left foot injury suffered in a preseason game last Sunday, leaving extra responsibility on Stewart and Johannes.

Sabally, a three-time All-Star, has yet to appear for the Liberty because of a cyst. Sabally averaged 16.3 points and 5.9 rebounds last season, helping the Phoenix Mercury reach the WNBA Finals. During those play-offs, Sabally led Phoenix with 19 points per game while also averaging seven rebounds.

Washington still pushed New York into overtime behind strong interior work. Kiki Iriafen produced 20 points and 12 rebounds, Sonia Citron scored 17, and Shakira Austin added 16 points plus 10 boards. The Mystics entered the contest after a 68-65 victory over expansion side Toronto Tempo on Friday.

The New York Liberty shared the result across social media platforms during the road trip.

Golden State Valkyries, New York Liberty and wider WNBA storylines

Golden State matched the Liberty’s 2-0 record through balanced scoring against Phoenix. Janelle Salaun came off the bench to score 21 points and hit four three-pointers in the 95-79 success, following a 20-point, five-three outing in Friday’s 91-80 season-opening win over the Seattle Storm.

Kayla Thornton and Gabby Williams each supplied 19 points for the Valkyries, who finished 23-21 last season. That mark set a record for wins by an expansion team and made Golden State the first expansion club to reach the play-offs in its debut WNBA campaign, underlining fast progress.

Phoenix struggled late against the Valkyries, getting outscored 29-17 in the fourth quarter on the second night of a back-to-back. The Mercury had opened their season with a 99-66 win over defending champions Las Vegas on Saturday, a response after the Aces swept Phoenix in last season’s WNBA Finals.

Alyssa Thomas led Phoenix against Golden State with 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, narrowly missing a triple-double. Golden State and New York now share identical 2-0 records, building early momentum while key Liberty players recover, and offering early intrigue for WNBA followers across regions, including the Middle East.