After Friday’s impressive 82-73 road win over the Los Angeles Sparks, the Golden State Valkyries have now won consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. 

Behind steady scoring from French rookies Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite, the Valkyries built a lead as big as 20 points in the second half. Despite L.A. making a comeback in the fourth quarter, the Valkyries hit enough free throws down the stretch to ice the win. 

“We had a 20-point lead, but of course they were going to come back,” Salaün said. “I think we were expecting them to have a run … But we stayed composed and showed we can close out games.”

The Valkyries lost to the Sparks in their season opener just a week ago in a game in which L.A. star Kelsey Plum dropped 37 points in San Francisco. On Friday, Golden State held Plum to just 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting. 

The Valkyries pulled off the win shorthanded with starting guard Tiffany Hayes out with a nose injury and Monique Billings unavailable with a right ankle injury. 

Unlike their first two games of the season, the Valkyries (2-1) found a rhythm early in the game, highlighted by their 18-0 start to the second quarter.

Leite led the Valkyries with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Salaün had 18 points – 13 of which came in the first half – to go along with seven rebounds. 

Here are five takeaways from Friday’s win:

Leite finding her groove 

Leite has looked more comfortable in head coach Natalie Nakase’s offense with each game she plays. 

Coming off the bench, she hunted her shot early and often. Leite scored all of her 19 points in the first three quarters, including nine in the third quarter alone. She had a plus-minus rating of +17 in 23 minutes of play. 

Friday’s game was a stark contrast to when the Valkyries played the Sparks a week ago, when Leite had two points and three turnovers. 

“I think my first game, I was very nervous, you know, so now I’m more comfortable,” Leite said. “So I think for that, I’m better.”

Is Salaün Golden State’s go-to scorer?

With Hayes out of the lineup, the Valkyries were in desperate need of a player who could put pressure on the rim. 

Salaün stepped into that role perfectly on Friday. 

Salaün was aggressive from tip-off, shooting an array of 3-pointers and mid-range shots while also getting in the paint for layups. The 23-year-old forward plays much larger than her 6-foot-2 frame and showed she can be a matchup nightmare on the wing or as a guard. 

“You can just see she’s meant for this moment,” Nakase said. “In a time when we need a bucket, we’re pretty confident with the ball in her hands. She wants that responsibility.”

Even when Hayes returns from injury, Salaün could step in as the Valkyries’ leading scorer for the foreseeable future. 

Where does Kate Martin fit?

Kate Martin has struggled with the Valkyries so far. 

After starting in last week’s season opener, Martin hasn’t logged more than 10 minutes since. She scored two points in that game and didn’t register any in Golden State’s win over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday. 

Martin was better against the Sparks on Friday, scoring six points on two made 3s. But she was on the floor for a total of 10 minutes, the least of any player who checked in. 

With injuries to Billings and Hayes, Martin will have a chance to show she can be a regular piece to this rotation. But with Leite, Veronica Burton and veteran guard Julie Vanloo all showing that they fit the offense, it will be an uphill battle for Martin to get consistent playing time. 

Nakase, however, is confident that Martin, whom she coached as an assistant in Las Vegas last year, will show improvement as the season goes on. 

“I am very familiar with Kate, so it’s not about acclimating. I just want her to be herself,” Nakase said. “I told her today, I gave her a big hug when we were in the warm-up lines and I said, ‘I’m your biggest fan, and I’ve always been your No. 1 fan,’ because I know the type of player that she is because of all the hard work that Kate puts in. … we’re just trying to fit in with Kate, to be honest.”

Veterans made big plays down the stretch

While Leite and Salaün did the bulk of Golden State’s scoring, veterans Burton and Kayla Thornton did all the little things to ensure the Valkyries left Los Angeles with a win. 

Thornton didn’t have the best shooting night, but she totaled 14 points and 10 rebounds – her sixth career double-double. When the Sparks brought the lead down to just five late in the fourth quarter, Thornton got fouled behind the 3-point line and knocked down all three free throws to push the lead back to eight. 

Burton scored 12 points and had a career-high five steals. She drew the defensive assignment of guarding Plum early and held the three-time All-Star to an inefficient scoring night. 

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Nakase cherishes return to SoCal

Friday’s game was a homecoming for Nakase, who went to high school at Marina High in Huntington Beach. 

Nakase, who spent 10 years working for the Los Angeles Clippers and is a UCLA alum, said she had over 60 people come to watch her coach back in her hometown. 

“When we were just flying over the city, I was like, ‘Oh, there’s where I used to live,’ and just everything comes back,” Nakase said. “I mean, obviously, my dad, just a lot of memories of my dad here, and with the Clippers and everything. It kind of gives me goosebumps.”