By Morris Phillips
SAN FRANCISCO–Violet the Raven, just like some other Valkyries, hasn’t been around for the entire inaugural season, but on Monday, the team’s mascot hit the floor running in her debut.
The feathery Violet hit a sequence of dance moves, looking the part as the lead in a tightly choreographed dance troupe. She also missed a couple of point blank shots against minimal defense. The verdict would have to be she’s not a finished product, but loaded with potential.
Sound like a true Valkyrie? Yes.
The team itself used Monday night to show their quest to reach their potential continues in earnest with a convincing 74-57 win that displayed their defense has arrived ahead of schedule. The visiting Sun were held to 34 percent shooting and turned the ball over 14 times. For the second game in a row, the Valkyries’ opponent was held to fewer than 60 points allowing the hosts to move above .500 in the league standings (16-15) for the first time in a month.
Cecila Zandalasini nearly posted a new personal best in scoring with 17 points while helping key a defensive effort that flustered the undermanned Sun. The hosts’ lead hit 20 points a couple of times in the fourth quarter as the Sun continued to faltering from three where they converted just 20 percent of their 25 attempts.
“It’s the minimum we have to do every game, and it’s given us some rhythm in each of the last two games,” Zandalasini said.
The reserved Zandalasini made three of the Valkyries’ 13 made threes, one which prompted her seemingly understated three-finger celebration. But that move drew a technical foul that shocked coach Natalie Nakase.
“She didn’t do anything… I don’t understand why someone would give this a technical foul,” Nakase said on a night that a referee’s bizarre reaction was rendered to a moment of humor.
Tiffany Hayes also scored 17 points for the Valkyries, and Janelle Salaun had 16. The team’s 41 percent shooting wasn’t anything to trumpet but their 39 percent shooting from three was, as they continue to successfully leverage their uptempo attack into a number of uncontested looks from distance.
The Valkyries have road games Mystics and Sky up next, two opportunities to improve their stature in the playoff picture against two struggling teams.
Sports Radio Service 