ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Veronica Burton had 25 points, 13 assists and a career-high four blocks and the Golden State Valkyries beat Dallas 90-81 on Sunday, sending the Wings to their fifth straight loss.
Golden State (19-18) snapped a three-game skid and has a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Sparks for the eighth and final spot in the WNBA playoffs, which begin Sept. 14.
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Dallas Wings forward Myisha Hines-Allen reacts after scoring a 3-point basket during the first half of a WNBA basketball against the Golden State Valkyries in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase yells from the sideline during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Golden State Valkyries guards Veronica Burton (22) and Kate Martin (20) smile during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers reacts after a play during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Golden State Valkyries in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) drives to the basket against Dallas Wings forward Diamond Miller, center back, during the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Iliana Rupert tied her career high with 17 points, Kaila Charles matcher her career best with 16 points and Kate Martin hit four 3-pointers and finished with 12 points for the Valkyries.
Burton, who had her fourth double-double this season, made a layup with 7:53 to play that capped a 10-0 run and gave the Valkyries their biggest lead of the game at 69-55.
Dallas (9-28) has lost 10 of its last 11.
Maddy Siegrist led the Wings with 16 points and Myisha Hines-Allen scored 15. Amy Okonkwo made her second WNBA appearance and added a career-high 12 points, and Grace Berger scored 11. Rookie Paige Bueckers had nine points on 3-of-12 shooting, grabbed a career-high tying nine rebounds and five assists.
Rookie JJ Quinerly (knee), Li Yueru (knee) and Arike Ogunbowale (knee) did not play for Dallas.
The Valkyries host Washington on Saturday. Dallas plays Connecticut at home on Wednesday.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Dallas Wings forward Myisha Hines-Allen reacts after scoring a 3-point basket during the first half of a WNBA basketball against the Golden State Valkyries in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase yells from the sideline during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Golden State Valkyries guards Veronica Burton (22) and Kate Martin (20) smile during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers reacts after a play during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Golden State Valkyries in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) drives to the basket against Dallas Wings forward Diamond Miller, center back, during the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A state appeals court will decide whether to dismiss felony voter misconduct charges against an Alaska resident born in American Samoa, one of numerous cases that has put a spotlight on the complex citizenship status of people born in the U.S. territory.
The Alaska Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in the case against Tupe Smith, who was arrested after winning election to a regional school board in 2023. Smith has said she relied on erroneous information from local election officials in the community of Whittier when she identified herself as a U.S. citizen on voter registration forms.
American Samoa is the only U.S. territory where residents are not automatically granted citizenship by being born on American soil and instead are considered U.S. nationals. Paths to citizenship exist, such as naturalization, though that process can be expensive and cumbersome.
American Samoans can serve in the military, obtain U.S. passports and vote in elections in American Samoa, but they cannot hold public office in the U.S. or participate in most U.S. elections.
Smith's attorneys have asked the appeals court to reverse a lower court's decision that let stand the indictment brought against her. Smith's supporters say she made an innocent mistake that does not merit charges, but the state has argued that Smith falsely and deliberately claimed citizenship.
State prosecutors separately have brought charges against 10 other people from American Samoa in Whittier, including Smith’s husband, Michael Pese.
Thursday's arguments centered on the meaning of the word intentionally.
Smith “and others like her who get caught up in Alaska’s confusing election administration system and do not have any intent to mislead or deceive should not face felony voter misconduct charges,” one of her attorneys, Whitney Brown, told the court.
But Kayla Doyle, an assistant attorney general, said that as part of ensuring election integrity, it's important that oaths being relied upon are accurate.
About 25 people gathered on a snowy street outside the Anchorage courthouse before Thursday’s hearing to support Smith. Some carried signs that read, ”We support Samoans.”
State Sen. Forrest Dunbar, a Democrat who attended the rally, said the Alaska Department of Law has limited resources.
“We should be going after people who are genuine criminals, who are violent criminals, or at least have the intent to deceive,” he said.
In a court filing in 2024, one of Smith's previous attorneys said that when Smith answered questions from the Alaska state trooper who arrested her, she said she was aware that she could not vote in presidential elections but was “unaware of any other restrictions on her ability to vote."
Smith said she marks herself as a U.S. national on paperwork. But when there was no such option on voter registration forms, she was told by city representatives that it was appropriate to mark U.S. citizen, according to the filing.
Smith “exercised what she believed was her right to vote in a local election. She did so without any intent to mislead or deceive anyone,” her current attorneys said in a filing in September. “Her belief that U.S. nationals may vote in local elections, which was supported by advice from City of Whittier election officials, was simply mistaken.”
The state has said Smith falsely and deliberately claimed citizenship. Prosecutors pointed to the language on the voter application forms she filled out in 2020 and 2022, which explicitly said that if the applicant was not at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen, “do not complete this form, as you are not eligible to vote.”
The counts Smith was indicted on “did not have anything to do with her belief in her ability to vote in certain elections; rather they concerned the straightforward question of whether or not Smith intentionally and falsely swore she was a United States citizen,” Doyle said in a court filing last year.
One of Smith's attorneys, Neil Weare, co-founder of the Washington-based Right to Democracy Project, has said the appeals court could dismiss the case or send it back to the lower court “to consider whether the state can meet the standard it has set forth for voter misconduct.” The state also could decide to file other charges if the case is dismissed, he said.
The court did not give a timeline for when it would issue a ruling.
Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska.
State Sen. Forrest Dunbar, left, stands with supporters of Tupe Smith gathered Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, outside the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage, Alaska, ahead of the Alaska Court of Appeals hearing a challenge to the voter misconduct case brought against American Samoa native Tupe Smith by the state. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
Supporters of Tupe Smith gather outside the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, ahead of the Alaska Court of Appeals hearing a challenge to the voter misconduct case brought against American Samoa native Tupe Smith by the state. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
Michael Pese and his wife, Tupe Smith, stand outside the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, ahead of the Alaska Court of Appeals hearing a challenge to the voter fraud case brought against her by the state. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
Michael Pese, left, his wife, Tupe Smith, and their son Maximus pose for a photo outside the Boney Courthouse in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, ahead of the Alaska Court of Appeals hearing a challenge to the voter fraud case brought against her by the state. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
FILE - Tupe Smith poses for a photo outside the school in Whittier, Alaska, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)
