Hayes' 18 points pace Valkyries past Fire 86-69

The Golden State Valkyries closed the last game before the FIBA World Cup break two games behind WNBA-leading Minnesota, and Tiffany Hayes' 18 points were the high for either side in an 86-69 win over the Portland Fire on Sunday.

The Associated Press led with Hayes' scoring. Kayla Thornton had 17, Kaitlyn Chen 15, and Veronica Burton and Kaila Charles 11 each. Golden State is 29-11. ESPN's recap matches the 86-69 final. The quarters on ESPN were 28-14, 19-11, 23-26 and 16-18. ABC News carried the same AP wire. Sportsnet did as well.

A 13-0 start and a 19-point first quarter

Chen's 3-pointer finished a 13-0 run and made it 15-4 a little more than five minutes in, and Golden State led by as many as 19 in the first quarter, the AP reported. ESPN's first-quarter score was 28-14. Hayes' scoring lead sat on top of that early cushion rather than a late rally. The Valkyries took a 47-25 edge into halftime on ESPN's board.

Portland did punch back once. Jordan Harrison's 3-pointer capped a 12-3 run and trimmed the deficit to 30-21 with six minutes left in the half. Thornton answered 14 seconds later with a short jumper that started 15 straight Golden State points while the Fire went scoreless for more than five minutes.

That burst, with Hayes still the night's leading scorer, restored the margin the Valkyries kept the rest of the way.

The second half was tighter. ESPN's third quarter went to Portland 26-23, and the Fire took the fourth 18-16. Combined, Portland outscored Golden State 44-39 after halftime and still lost by 17.

The hole from the first 20 minutes never closed. Emily Engstler and Megan DiLeo scored 12 apiece for Portland (16-24). Bridget Carleton added 11.

The Fire had beaten Atlanta 101-83 on Friday to snap a three-game losing streak, then ran into Hayes' 18 and that first-half deficit Sunday.

Minnesota's tiebreaker, four games left

The AP laid out the remaining schedule as the reason the standings still matter. Golden State has four games left against Portland twice, Seattle, and Los Angeles, opponents with a combined .325 winning percentage (39-81). Minnesota won the season series 2-1 and holds the playoff tiebreaker.

The Lynx close against New York and Connecticut, then back-to-back games against Indiana, a group the AP listed at a combined 60-59.

All-Star Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaün, and Cecelia Zandalasini did not play for Golden State. Portland sat Carla Leite, who leads the Fire at 15.9 points and 6.3 assists per game, and Frieda Buhner, World Cup preparation, the AP said.

Hayes' 18 came without that group on the floor, a scoring night that still left Golden State within two of first with a softer closing slate than Minnesota's.

The clubs meet again Sept. 18 at Golden State, the first game back after the pause.

Sources

https://abcnews.com/Sports/wireStory/tiffany-hayes-scores-18-kayla-thornton-17-valkyries-136078663

https://www.espn.com/wnba/recap/_/gameId/401857188

https://www.sportsnet.ca/wnba/article/tiffany-hayes-kayla-thornton-lead-valkyries-past-fire/