A’s pile on Angels with 17-4 laugher at the Big A in Anaheim

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Sacramento A’s Cody Thomas rounds the bases after slugging a three run home run in the bottom eighth against the Los Angeles Angels at the Big A in Anaheim on Sat Sep 6, 2024 (AP News photo)

Athletics Hammer Angels with Relentless Barrage 17-4

By Mauricio Segura

The Sacramento Athletics wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard at Angel Stadium, jumping all over Los Angeles pitching in a 17-4 massacre that was never in doubt after the opening attack.

The Green and Gold came out swinging in the first, setting the tone with a two-out rally. Nick Kurtz and Colby Thomas each drew walks before Jacob Wilson lined a single to load the bases. Tyler Soderstrom then cleared them with a bases-clearing double, giving the Athletics a quick 3-0 cushion.

Sacramento kept the pedal down in the second inning. After Brent Rooker’s RBI double extended the lead, Thomas followed with a towering three-run homer to left center, putting the A’s up 7-0 before the Angels had even recorded their sixth out. By the time Kurtz launched his 29th homer of the year in the fourth, the Angels were reeling, down 8-1 and looking for answers.

Sacramento’s offense wasn’t finished. In the sixth, Wilson singled and came around to score on a groundout to push the lead to 9-1. Then came the knockout punch in the eighth, when pinch-hitter Carlos Cortes drilled a three-run shot for his first big league homer. The onslaught continued with six consecutive hits, capped by Shea Langeliers’ two-run single that ballooned the score to 14-1.

Even after Los Angeles answered with back-to-back homers in the bottom of the eighth from Matthew Lugo and Jo Adell, the A’s refused to let the night end quietly. In the ninth, JJ Bleday crushed a three-run homer to right, giving Sacramento its final total of 17 runs on 20 hits.

Every part of the lineup contributed: Wilson collected three hits, Langeliers added four with three runs batted in, and Thomas homered and singled in a strong performance. Cortes’ storybook blast highlighted a bench that kept pouring it on.

On the mound, Sacramento’s pitching was just as sharp. The Angels managed only scattered singles until Yoán Moncada tripled in the third for their first run. Starter J.T. Ginn and relievers Hogan Harris and Scott McGough combined to hold Los Angeles largely in check, striking out eight and stranding runners in nearly every frame.

By the end, the Angels were left searching for positives in a lopsided loss, while the Athletics cemented another statement victory powered by patience at the plate, timely hitting, and a relentless offensive attack. For Sacramento, the message was clear: when the bats wake up this early, the game can be decided before the sun even sets.

Starting pitchers for Sunday’s game at the Big A for Sacramento RHP Luis Severino (6-11 ERA 4.65) for Los Angeles LHP Mitch Ferris (1-0 ERA 1.80) first pitch 1:07pm PT.

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Bay FC match wrap: Kansas City defense holds off Bay FC in 2-0 shutout at Pay Pal Park

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The Kansas City Current were putting it on net all night long and kept Bay FC goaltender Jordan Silkowitz seen leaping and stopping a shot busy all night long at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sat Sep 6, 2025 (Photo by: John Hefti-Imagn Images)

By William Espy

SAN JOSE–Bay FC returned to PayPal Park on Saturday night as they hosted Kayla Sharples and the league-leading Kansas City Current. The Current got goals from Michelle Cooper at the 45th minute and Temwa Chawinga at the 90 + 2 minute to shutout Bay FC 2-0 on Saturday.

New acquisition Sydney Collins was in the starting eleven for the first time since joining Bay, while Kelli Hubly was honored pregame for her 100th career game.

Both teams started out the game with physicality but it was Kansas City who had a great opportunity in the 12th minute. The attack forced Jordan Silkowitz to make a save then moments later, defender Joelle Anderson made a goal-line save of her own. Moments later, Silkowitz was forced to make another save which went out for a corner.

VAR stopped the play shortly after Maddie Moreau was taken down inside of the box, however upon review it was determined that there was no foul on the play.

Kansas City were getting quite a few shots, but they were all either off target or being saved by Silkowitz early on. Rocky Rodriguez was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 40th minute.

Kansas City took the lead in the 45th minute with a goal off the foot of Michelle Cooper. The Current would carry that 1-0 lead into halftime.

Bia Zaneratto nearly made it 2-0 with a shot from inside of the box, but it had just too much on it, as it went above the crossbar. Tess Boade had a similar chance in the 63rd minute that ended with the same result.

Silkowitz made a diving save to deny the Current in the 66th minute and she was called upon again in the 76th minute. Rachel Hill was shown Bay FC’s first card of the night in the 78th minute.

Bay’s attack really started to come alive around the 80th minute, but they still couldn’t get the ball into the net.

Temwa Chawinga added an insurance goal in stoppage time, and Kansas City walked away with a 2-0 win.

Cougars cruise to 27-3 victory over the Cardinal

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BYU Cougars linebacker Jack Kelly (top) assists with the tackle on Stanford Cardinal running back Micah Ford (below) at Bringham Young University in Provo on Sat Sep 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Daniel Dullum

Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025

Brigham Young shut Stanford out for three quarters Saturday, as the Cougars defeated the visiting Cardinal 27-3 in non-conference football at Provo, Utah.

The Cougars (2-0) outgained Stanford (0-2) 332 yards to 161 yards in total offense, and collected 18 first downs to the Cardinal’s 12.

BYU opened the scoring with 3:25 left in the first quarter on a three yard touchdown run by Bear Bachmeier. Will Ferrin booted field goals of 36 and 30 yards out in the second quarter. The Cougars added a safety with 5:14 left in the half, and BYU took a 20-0 lead into halftime.

Ferrin kicked a 21-yard field goal with 8:56 remaining in the third quarter, and just over five minutes later, Stone Moa ran in from eight yards out, boosting BYU’s lead to 24-0 after three periods.

Stanford got on the board hen Emmet Kenney kicked a 26 yard field goal with 10:31 to play in the fourth quarter. Ferrin added his fourth field goal of the night, this one from 23 yards to complete the scoring with 6:33 remaining.

LJ Martin was the Cougars’ leading ground gainer, with 110 rushing yards on 18 attempts. Bachmeier completed 17 of 27 passes for 175 yards and no interceptions. Chase Roberts caught five passes for 84 yards.

Ben Gulbranson completed 17 of 32 passes for 142 yards for the Cardinal, but was picked off twice. Micah Ford ran for 21 yards on 12 attempts and Tuna Altahir gained 20 yards on six carries. Bryce Farrell caught five passes for 68 yards and CJ Williams made four receptions for 31 yards.

Next Saturday, the Cardinal’s home opener is an Atlantic Coast Conference contest with Boston College at The Farm.  Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m

Cal Finds Its Way On The Fly: Bears Start Slow in 35-3 Win Over Texas Southern

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By Morris Phillips

BERKELEY, CA–New faces, initial impressions, new surroundings… in this case, after an off-season of unprecedented upheaval, there was more of those elements on the home sideline than there were on the Texas Southern side.

Unusual? In a meeting of a FCS program traveling for a payday and a Power 4 program like Cal, almost unprecedented.

Accordingly, Cal started slow, managing just a 3-0 lead into the final 90 seconds before halftime. Slow wasn’t unsure as the Bears defense proved unyielding from the start. But not until quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele scored the game’s initial touchdown with 1:19 remaining before the break did the tension on the scoreboard relent.

“We had the energy going and some good defensive calls,” TSU coach Cris Dishman said. “We had some good drives going offensive, sustained some drives. So we keep them deep. We lost the field position. Football is mainly about field position. After we lost the field position, we couldn’t get it back.”

Cal’s defense maintained the pressure throughout and Sagapolutele’s touchdown triggered a 32-point explosion across five, consecutive possessions and the Bears pulled away to win 35-3.

Sagapolutele, who was a freshman sensation in Cal’s 34-15, season-opening win over Oregon State was less than that in completing 26 of 37 for 259 yards and one interception against the Tigers. Specifically, with Dishman’s acumen in a decade-plus NFL career as a cornerback, the visiting Tigers all but eliminated the deep outs that plagued Oregon State. Against TSU, Sagapolutele’s longest reception was 27 yards, forcing him to remain patient and work inside.

With a receiving crew with limited experience and even less star potential, Cal made it work. Mark Hamper, Jacob De Jesus and Mason Mini each had five catches and the offense clicked in the second half.

Kendrick Raphael was the only Bear to have a statistical history in Memorial Stadium, an illustration of a green offense that returns just one starter (OG Sioape Vatikani) along with rotation receiver Trond Grizzell. Raphael gained 10 yards in 6 carries last season as an NC State reserve back, but quickly made himself at home on Saturday.

Raphael pounded away in the run game, amassing 131 yards on 18 carries and his touchdown extended Cal’s lead to 18-0 in the third quarter.

Defensively, the Cal front led the way with constant pressure that kept TSU quarterback KJ Cooper off-schedule. Redshirt freshman Luke Ferrelli (11 tackles) and Cade Uluave kept Cal nearly perfect with no missed tackles.

Approximately 50 players departed Cal in the off-season, along with several assistant coaches. Impatient alumni complained loudly about ninth-year head coach Justin Wilcox. And the replacements almost entirely came from lesser programs where they had limited roles. Under those conditions, Cal’s 2-0 start is remarkable.

“If you keep the other team from scoring a touchdown, that’s really good,” Wilcox said. “However, there were just a lot of things we’re going to need to improve on.”

Giants Lose Ground in September Push Losing To the Cardinals 3-2

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San Francisco Giants Matt Chapman (right) is tagged out by St Louis Cardinal catcher Jimmy Crooks (left) in the top of the sixth inning at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Sat Sep 6, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Going into the ninth inning the San Francisco Giants (72-70) were looking good leading 2-0 with ace closer Ryan Walker on the mound. Walker had not allowed a run in his last ten appearances. The St. Louis Cardinals (71-72) offense woke up in the ninth inning with four hits scoring three runs and coming away with the walk-off 3-2 Saturday night at Busch Stadium.

The most disappointing of all was that the Giants could have pulled to within three games of the current third wild game which right now appears to be the New York Mets. New York lost to the Reds today so San Francisco did not lose any ground but could have made up some precious ground. It was a real heart-breaker..

Game recap: The first three innings of Saturday night’s game were quiet. San Francisco pitcher Justin Verlander had a lengthy 24 pitch first inning giving up a single before settling in and going three and out through the third inning. Neither team had much going on offensively until the fourth inning.

San Francisco got up on the scoreboard in the fourth inning scoring two runs. Casey Schmitt sacrificed Dominic Smith home for the early 1-0 lead. They extended their lead when Drew Gilbert doubled and Matt Chapman scored from third base for a 2-0 lead.

Justin Verlander kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard pitching through six scoreless innings. He had an exceptional game allowing three hits, no runs, no walks with six punch-outs. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Joey Lucchesi who breezed through the seventh.

With only two more innings left in the game, the Giants needed an insurance run or two and the long ball was strangely silent. Neither team had been hitting in this pitcher’s duel; fvie hits for San Francisco and three for St. Louis.

San Francisco took the 2-0 lead into the top of the ninth inning. The Giants had done a great job limiting the Cardinals hits only allowing five hits in game one and Saturday night only three through eight innings.

San Francisco went down one, two, three and now faced the heart of the St. Louis lineup in the bottom of the ninth inning. They would be looking to Ryan Walker to close out this game and take a 2-0 series lead.

Walker has not allowed a run in his last ten outings so a lot of hope was pinned on this guy. It was a shaky start for Walker allowing a Nolan Gorman single followed by a Masyn Winn single and the tying run was aboard and the go-ahead run was at the plate.

The Cardinals Jimmy Crooks was hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded with no outs. The Cardinals had a golden opportunity to turn this game around. St. Louis picked just the perfect time to start hitting.

They went into the inning with only three hits but finished the game with seven hits. With the bases loaded St. Louis were not about to let this game go. Thomas Saggese singled Gorman home and they topped this game off with a Jordan Walker double that drove Winn and Hampson home and that was the ball game.

The Cardinals had pulled off the walk-off after trailing for the entire game 3-2. San Francisco held for eight innings but it all fell apart in the ninth inning.

This was a heart breaking loss for the Giants after such an amazing run cutting short their home run streak as well as their five-game winning streak. They have now won 11 of their last 13 games hoping to come back strong tomorrow in game three to win the series.

The one bit of good news is that the Mets dropped their game to the Reds Saturday. San Francisco did not lose any ground but a win would have meant a lot. They will hopefully turn this all around in Sunday’s game three.

Game notes: Saturday evening the Giants battled the St. Louis Cardinals in game two of their three game series after winning game one Friday night 8-2 and losing Saturday night 3-2. Every game going forward is critical.

They are not far off for that third wild game despite many claiming they are out of the hunt. The way that this team has been playing all bets are off. The Giants trail the Mets by four games with 21 games left in the season.

San Francisco just needs to take care of their own business and they just might see some action in October. The New York Mets have a tough schedule to close out the season although the Giants remaining schedule is far from easy .

It’s just that the Mets schedule is a bear. The way the Giants had been playing right now they have certainly set the stage for one amazing finish. They are regarded right now as one of the hottest teams in the majors. The Giants who lost to the Cardinals Saturday didn’t lose any ground in the Wild Card race are still four games for the last wild card spot.

San Francisco will send Kai-Wei Teng (2-3 ERA 7.23) to the mound Sunday who had a great outing in his last game Monday against Colorado. The Giants will need more of the same from Teng. The Cardinals will start Sonny Gray who comes into this game with a 12-8 win/loss record and a 4.43 ERA. First pitch for game three is scheduled for 11:15 AM deciding the series.

A’s Bats Break Out in Anaheim as Butler and Bleday Power Past Angels 10-4

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Sacramento A’s centerfielder Lawrence Butler chases down a Los Angeles Angels Luis Rengifo fly ball in the eighth inning at Anaheim Stadium on Fri Sep 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

A’s Bats Break Out in Anaheim as Butler and Bleday Power Past Angels 10-4

By Mauricio Segura

For a club that has spent too many nights watching its offense sputter, the Sacramento Athletics finally flipped the script in Anaheim. What began as a sloppy first inning on both sides quickly turned into a showcase of the Green and Gold’s young power core, capped by Lawrence Butler’s ninth-inning blast and JJ Bleday’s statement swing in the third.

By the end of the Friday night, the A’s walked off with a 10-4 win that reminded everyone why they still rank among the league’s most dangerous lineups since the All-Star break.

The early frames hardly suggested excitement Rookie starter Mason Barnett, making just his second big league appearance, immediately found himself in a mess. After Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, and Brent Rooker all walked to load the bases before a single out, Tyler Soderstrom’s grounder produced both a double play and the game’s first run.

Jacob Wilson followed with a sharp RBI single, giving Sacramento a 2-0 cushion. Barnett promptly gave it right back. He hit Zach Neto, walked Mike Trout, and watched Yoán Moncada and Luis Rengifo chip away. By the time Oswald Peraza lifted a sac fly, the Angels led 4-2 and Barnett had already thrown 40 stressful pitches. For a rookie trying to settle in, it looked like another long night.

But Sacramento’s offense, which entered the day leading the majors in doubles and ranking among the top five in OPS since the break, had other plans. In the third, the lineup erupted. Langeliers singled, Soderstrom followed, and Wilson worked a walk to load the bases.

Butler chopped a single to first to drive in a run, and Zack Gelof’s liner tied the game. A wild pitch pushed Sacramento back on top, setting the stage for Bleday’s thunderclap. The outfielder launched his 13th homer of the year into the left-field seats, a three-run shot that turned Angel Stadium into a library. Suddenly, it was 8-4, and the A’s never looked back.

The inning wasn’t done. Darell Hernaiz singled, stole a base, and eventually scored when Rooker wore a pitch with the bases loaded. Nine runs through three innings was more than enough for manager Mark Kotsay’s bullpen, which has been the club’s strongest unit for months.

Relievers Justin Sterner, Elvis Alvarado, and Michael Kelly combined for six scoreless innings, racking up strikeouts while keeping Trout and company swinging through air. It was the exact type of performance the organization envisioned when rebuilding the relief corps after Mason Miller’s departure earlier in the year.

From there, the only drama came in Butler’s final at-bat. Leading off the ninth, the 24-year-old belted his 19th homer, a shot to dead center that punctuated the Battle of Anaheim. Butler’s glove has been steady all season, ranking among the league’s best in outfield putouts, but his bat has lagged. If this swing sparks a September surge, Sacramento will happily take it.

There were other encouraging signs. Kurtz, the rookie phenom leading all first-year players in home runs, RBIs, and walks, reached base three more times. Wilson, who tops all rookies in hits and batting average, delivered again with two big swings.

Langeliers, who has been an extra-base hit machine since the break, kept the line moving with two more knocks. When the Athletics get contributions from all three, the lineup lengthens in a way that forces pitchers into mistakes.

The win pushed Sacramento to 65-77, still lodged in the cellar of the AL West but showing glimpses of a club better than its record. They have now scored 96 first-inning runs this year, second most in the majors, and continue to play spoiler with power. More importantly, they shook off a disastrous start from their rookie pitcher without ever looking rattled, a trait that bodes well for the final stretch.

For the Angels, the frustration deepens. Trout went hitless with two strikeouts, Moncada fanned twice, and their pitching staff unraveled under the weight of walks and wild pitches. By the late innings, the game felt less like a rivalry clash and more like a showcase for Sacramento’s next wave.

The A’s will try to build on the outburst with RHP J.T. Ginn (2-6 ERA 5.17) set to start on Saturday. If the lineup carries over the same swagger, Anaheim could be in for another long night. The Angels will start LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-10 ERA 3.83).

Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Giants Start Hot In St. Louis Series Winning Game One 8-2

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San Francisco Giants Willy Adames takes a look at his home run ball’s flight against the St Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St Louis on Fri Aug 5, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Every single player on the San Francisco Giant’s (72-69) roster had hits in their 8-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals (70-72) in game one of their three game series Friday. Jung Hoo Lee had four hits and Patrick Bailey with three hits and on top of that the Giants also hit two more home runs in the first inning off the bats of Rafael Devers and Willy Adames. They finished the game with 18 hits.

The Giants continue to improve their play now three games over .500 although they have something like an 11% chance of making the playoffs and are four games back for the last Wild Card spot.

This current turnaround unfortunately came a bit too late because right now they are playing lights out. The Cardinals were also in the hunt but their chances have also diminished. The Giants are playing crazy good baseball right now but despite that according to FanGraphs they have almost a 5% chance to make the playoff.

Depending who you believe whether it be 5 % or 11%, the odds are not in the Giants favor. What a shame they could not have turned the season around earlier but it is what it is. All that is out of their control right now and their playing the best ball that they can and let the chips fall where they may.

While it will probably turn out badly, they have to be very proud of the way they are playing right now. The Giants took the first game of this three game series. Giants starter Carson Seymour pitched five innings allowed two hits, one run, one walk and two strikeouts.

The Giants’ Devers and Adames made sure that streak would live another day. Devers hit the first of two home runs in the first inning, a solo shot to center for a 1-0 lead. Adames followed that hit with a home run of his own for a 2-0 lead, another solo to center keeping center fielder Victor Scott II busy watching the ball fly into the stands. It was a great start for San Francisco, not so much for the Cardinals.

San Francisco Giants took the 2-0 lead into the fourth inning where they unleashed a barrage of runs taking a 6-0 lead. Drew Gilbert drove in the first run hitting a sacrifice driving Jung Hoo Lee home taking a 3-0 lead.

Patrick Bailey and Devers both hit singles in the inning driving in two more runs. Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey both scored runs on those hits and the Giants were looking great with a 5-0 lead. They would tack one more run on when Adames grounded into a fielders choice driving in Heliot Ramos and San Francisco had a 6-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning.

St. Louis pitcher Michael McGreevy had a rough time in the four innings he pitched. He gave up nine hits, six earned runs, one walks and only three strikeouts. He was relieved in the fifth inning by Gordon Graceffo.

The Cardinals finally made it up on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning. They scored a single run off a Scott II single driving in Jimmy Crooks but St. Louis had a whole lot more work to do in this game trailing 1-6.

The Giants took the 6-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning. Matt Chapman started off the inning with a single followed by a Jung Hoo Lee triple allowing Chapman to score and the hits just kept on coming. Now leading 7-1, Casey Schmitt singled driving in Lee for an 8-1 tally with no outs. Gilbert fouled out and Ramos hit into a double play to end the inning and this game went into the bottom of the seventh inning.

San Francisco’s Tristan Beck took over on the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning. San Francisco starting pitcher Carson Seymour had a great showing going five innings allowing only two hits, one earned run, one walk with two strikeouts. He was relieved in the sixth inning by Matt Gage before Beck took over in the seventh. Beck got the Giants out of the inning and it was on to the eighth.

With two outs in the eighth inning that Giants were threatening to add to their score loading the bases with Schmitt at the plate. Unfortunately Schmitt struck out and San Francisco had missed a great opportunity put more runs on the board.

The Cardinals hit a solo home run in the eighth inning cutting the Giants lead to 8-2 but they were three outs away from losing the game in the ninth inning. Jimmy Crooks struck out swinging, Thomas Saggese flied out and Jordan Walker struck for the third out and that was the ball game with the Giants taking game one 8-2.

San Francisco finished the game with 18 hits. while the Cardinals had only five. There was some great offensive play going on for the Giants in this game. Beck finished the three final innings only allowing two hits and one run.

The two teams will meet up Saturday night in game two with first pitch scheduled for 4:15 PM. Justin Verlander will be on the mound for the Giants with a 3-10 win/loss record and a 4.29 ERA. The Cardinals Andre Pallante will start in game two with a 6-13 win/loss record and a 5.38 ERA.

A’s Baseball podcast Lincoln Juarez: A’s start final month of season in another slump

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Sacramento A’s starter Luis Severino has shown vast improvement since the All Star break. Despite the 2-1 loss in St Louis Tuesday Severino has improved his ERA. (AP file photo)

A’s Baseball podcast Lincoln Juarez:

#1 The A’s opened up the final month of the regular season losing two of three in St. Louis to the Cardinals. The offense could only come up with one run in each of the final two games.

#2 Luis Severino threw five shut-out innings Tuesday night in St. Louis but the A’s eventually fell to the Cardinals 2-1. He only allowed three hits as well.

#3 Jeffrey Springs also pitched very well Wednesday night in the A’s 5-1 loss to the Cardinals, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out four.

#4 Looking ahead to the weekend, the A’s are in Anaheim for a three game set against the Angels and at this point it just seems like they are trying to get through the last month of the season however they can and build onto next year.

#5 The A’s putting out on social media some footage of walls being put up at the stadium site in Las Vegas saying, “We’re going vertical”. Interesting to see the progress being made out at the site.

Lincoln Juarez does the Sacramento A’s podcasts Fridays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Playoffs? The Valkyries Say Yes With A Fifth Straight Win, 84-80 Over The Wings

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Golden State Valkyrie center Kaitlyn Chen ( (with the ball) looking for some daylight as Chen is surrounded by Dallas Wings players at Chase Center on Thu Sep 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Coach Natalie Nakase said year one of the WNBA Valkyries would be about the process over wins and losses.

But the process kicked in, and the wins soon came more frequently than the losses. And Nakase’s team accomplished this despite the frequent personnel changes and a couple of disheartening, fourth quarter collapses.

A lot of other things were in play as well. The coaching staff developed a reputation for preparedness and getting their team to buy in. Veronica Burton became a star with versatility and availability for every game. The home crowd filled the Chase Center with noise and enthusiasm every game.

And Nakase was resolute that her team constructed with veterans as opposed to more recognizable college players could and would win now, not a year or two down the road.

“I told the girls, we intentionally picked you guys for this reason: to do things for the first (time),” Nakase said.

The result? The Valkyries became the first expansion team to qualify for the WNBA playoffs with an 84-80, comeback win over the Dallas Wings on Thursday night.

Janelle Salaun led a group of five players scoring in double figures with 19 points and the Valkyries overcame a 13-point, third quarter deficit to win their fifth straight game, and eliminate the Sparks from playoff contention.

The Wings lost for the ninth consecutive game but gave their best effort in weeks by starting fast offensively and limiting mistakes. But the Valkyries stuck to the now familiar process of winning down the stretch with defense and making big shots.

“We were mostly locked in on the defensive end but the Valkyries hit some tough shots and made some plays down the stretch but we felt like we were in the game the entire time,” said Paige Bueckers, who led all scorers with 27 points.

Wings coach Chris Koclanes had obviously seen the Valkyries’ too many times on tape and three, previous meetings, and explained how things got away from his team in the fourth quarter.

“That’s their identity. Right?” Koclanes said. “They’re going to guard and they’re going to get up a ton of threes. So I know they only shoot 40 percent (overall) but they shoot so many threes so effectively when they have good nights it’s a little bit higher than that. But they’re gritty and they’re tough, they’re never out of the game. They just have that fight and when you have this fan base behind you, you get that extra energy.”

Burton came up with the critical basket with 22 seconds remaining on a drive that drew a foul and increased the Valkyries’ two-point lead to 79-74. Five free throws followed with only one miss and the celebration began… briefly.

“I really don’t allow them to celebrate,” Nakase said. “They can enjoy this, but I also keep them humble. I’m a party pooper. Yes, I am.”

PLAYOFFS IN SAN JOSE: The Valkyries announced that their September 17th playoff home game will be played at the SAP Center in San Jose. The team has a scheduling conflict at the Chase Center on that date necessitating the change.

Golden State Valkyries become first WNBA inaugural team to make post season defeat Dallas 84-80

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Golden State Valkyrie center Kaitlyn Chen ( (with the ball) looking for some daylight as Chen is surrounded by Dallas Wings players at Chase Center on Thu Sep 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Morris Phillips

The Golden State Valkyries (23-18) made WNBA history with their win over the visiting Dallas Wings at Chase Center becoming the first expansion team to make the post season in their inaugural season in a 84-80 win over the Wings at Chase Center on Thursday night.

The Valkyries first season also set another WNBA record for the most wins by expansion team with the most wins at 23 and selling out all of their first 21 home game and counting thus far. The Valkyries had averaged their attendance at 18,064 per game which marks them the highest in the WNBA.

Valkyrie head coach Natalie Nakase also wo the Coach of the Month award in June and forward Kayla Thornton won Western Conference Player of Week. Thornton also represented the Valkyrie at the WNBA All Star game for this year.

The Valkyrie who clinched for a playoff spot will play their first round playoff games at SAP Center in San Jose due to a Chase Center in San Francisco scheduling conflict at Chase Center on either September 16 or 17th. The first game of the playoffs will be on the road on September 14th.

The Laver Cup tennis tournament which was scheduled well before the Valkyries playoffs had been previously played at Berlin, Vancouver, London and Boston. The WNBA tried to get the second playoff game for Sunday. It just so happen the Lavar was scheduled to play the first game of the playoffs. Lavar had first choice and stayed with Chase Center.