SAN FRANCISCO -- Veronica Burton caught the ball just outside the 3-point line with 30 seconds left in regulation. She was wide open, and although two Washington Mystics defenders tried to close out on her, it was too late.
Burton cashed in the dagger shot to put the Golden State Valkyries up by seven on the way to the franchise's first win.
"These are the moments you don't forget," Burton said after Wednesday night's 76-74 victory. "We've been in the gym working, training, and there's been a lot of anticipation, a lot of build-up. ... Just the emotions behind it, the feeling, [I'm] embracing this moment."
As soon as the buzzer sounded, forward Kayla Thornton embraced Valkyries owner Joe Lacob and Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski courtside. A short time later, coach Natalie Nakase emerged from the locker room in a robe, saying that despite her best efforts to avoid getting drenched, her players soaked her. She said Burton was drenched next.
While it was a feel-good moment, the Valkyries (1-1) didn't view the win as clearing a weight from their shoulders, but rather as the next step in what should be a natural progression of building their program.
"We've been working really hard for this," Nakase said. "We've only played 80 minutes together, but it's a credit to everyone prepping and putting in their hard work. It's a collective effort from everyone."
This game followed a similar flow to Golden State's season-opener, as well as its preseason games, with the offense starting ice cold. The Valkyries missed their first 17 attempts, in the process tying a WNBA record for the most missed 3s to open a game.
Somehow, they hung on to a one-point lead at halftime. At the start of the fourth quarter, they were up by just one as well. But, unlike in their other contests, they figured out how to close against the Mystics.
"My gut feeling was that this was going to go down to the wire. I don't know what it is, but I [knew] we would probably have a close game," Nakase said. "All of the coaches met for an extra hour and just made sure we were prepared for that on every level."
Golden State's shooting remained cold through much of the game; the Valkyries shot just 39.1% overall and 18.9% (7-for-37) from beyond the arc.
But when it mattered most, they hit their shots. Burton, who finished with a career-high 22 points and nine rebounds, hit her second 3 of the night with 1:38 left in the game to put the Valkyries up by one. On the next possession, Thornton was fouled while shooting beyond the arc and converted the four-point play to extend the lead to five.
Burton pushed the lead to seven with her next 3.
The Valkyries have preached a fast-paced, 3-point-shooting offensive identity, and Nakase has told her players that as long as they are getting good looks, they should keep taking those shots because the law of averages suggests they should eventually fall.
However, the Valkyries also understand that they can't always wait for that to happen.
"We found a way to get things done," Burton said. "We still are emphasizing taking our shots, good, quality shots, and a lot of those are 3s. But also, when that's not falling, we are an aggressive team in the paint, too, and in transition. ... We need to look to get downhill. Look to get to the foul line."
With a win under their belts, the Valkyries now head out on their first road trip -- at their Southern California foe, the Los Angeles Sparks, and with two games against the reigning champion New York Liberty.