SEATTLE (AP) — Janelle Salaun scored 20 points and tied a career high with five 3-pointers, Veronica Burton had 16 points, and the Golden State Valkyries beat the Seattle Storm 91-80 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.
Kaitlyn Chen scored all 14 of her points in the second half and Kayla Thornton added 13 for Golden State, which led 49-41 at halftime and 69-53 after three quarters. Seven different Valkyries made a 3-pointer and the team finished 15 of 37 from distance.
Gabby Williams, Golden State’s marquee offseason addition, had seven points, six rebounds and four assists in her return to Seattle where she played from 2022-25.
Dominique Malonga led Seattle with 21 points and Zia Cooke added 15 off the bench. Jade Melbourne scored 13 and Flau’jae Johnson, the No. 8 selection in the WNBA draft, had 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Seattle is expected to be without starter Ezi Magbegor for six to eight weeks due to a right foot injury.
Golden State had two players leave with injuries in the first half and neither returned. Starter Tiffany Hayes left with a left pinky injury in the first quarter and Cecilia Zandalasini sustained a jaw injury in the second.
Golden State opens its home schedule on Sunday against Phoenix.
Seattle travels to play Connecticut on Sunday.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) moves to the basket against Seattle Storm guard Jordan Horston (23) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Storm guard Flau'jae Johnson reacts after making a three-point basket against the Golden State Valkyries during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen passes through the arms of Seattle Storm guard Jordan Horston (23) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, May 8, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — Will Young made a career-best 125 and Matt Henry dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in his first over as New Zealand beat India by 244 runs Friday in the fourth one-day cricket international.
Henry finished with his career-best of 6-27 as India was bowled out for in 89 in 26.4 overs, suffering its second largest in terms of runs in ODIs.
India still leads the series 2-1 ahead of the final match at the same venue on Sunday but New Zealand now has a chance of avoiding its first loss in in ODI series at home in seven years.
Young was dropped twice with his score on five and made India pay, reaching a century from 88 balls as New Zealand made 333 after being sent in.
Henry then took three wickets without conceding a run in the first over of India's innings in a dramatic return from injury. New Zealand had nine players out with injuries and more reassigned to its test squad for the first test which starts in Wellington on Thursday.
Henry bowled Rohit with the first ball of the India innings, squaring up the batter which a sharp delivery that took the shoulder of the bat and flew to Finn Allen who took a diving catch at first slip.
Kohli was out to the fifth ball of the over which seamed back late from outside off and wrecked his stumps as he showed every sign of bewilderment.
Iyer, who took over the captaincy from Shubman Gill after he joined India's squad for the first test on Thursday, was out next ball, trapped lbw by another delivery that cut back sharply from off.
“The wind was so strong and I was keeping things very simple,” Henry said. “It's funny how things work out when you're just trying to have a simple game plan and not getting too carried away.”
Kyle Jamieson joined in, dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad in the sixth over to leave India 9-4 and Nick Kelly dropped Axar Patel next ball, saving the tourists from being 9-5.
Patel went on to make 21 and to share a 44-run partnership with wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan (27) which went a little way to saving India's blushes.
Henry returned to dismiss Kishan with the first ball of his second spell and bowled Kuldeep Yadav (1) to complete his fourth five-wicket bag in ODIs. He then bowled Gurnoor Brar to end the innings.
“There was a huge difference in the first innings and the second innings in terms of the pitch but also credit where it's due, the way Henry bowled in the right areas from ball one was quite sensational,” Iyer said.
Earlier, Young was dropped by Rohit Sharma at first slip off Auqib Nabi in the second over of New Zealand's innings and by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan next ball before going on to make his fifth ODI century, his first against India, from 88 balls.
Young saw New Zealand lose Seifert and newcomers Nick Young (4) and Dean Foxcroft (8) in quick succession, then reestablished New Zealand's command in a partnership of 90 with Finn Allen for the fourth wicket. Allen made 41 from 30 balls in a stand that spanned the 20th to the 30th overs.
India had a new captain as Iyer took over from Shubman Gill but its success with the toss continued as Iyer won its eighth toss from nine matches across the T20 and ODI series and sent New Zealand. For the first time in this series, Friday's match was played in fine, sunny weather.
Rain affected the first match of the series in Auckland, which India won by five wickets, and the second in Wellington, which India won by four runs to take a 2-0 series lead. The third match in Wellington on Tuesday was washed out without a ball being bowled.
See AP’s full cricket coverage here
New Zealand's Matt Henry celebrates bowling India's Mayank Yadav during a One Day International cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
India's Ishan Kishan plays a shot against New Zealand during a One Day International cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Matt Henry bowls against India during a One Day International cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Matt Henry, left, bowls against India during a One Day International cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Matt Henry, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of India's Virat Kohli during a One Day International cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
India's Axar Patel celebrates taking the wicket of New Zealand's Nick Kelly during an International One Day cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
India's wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan catches out New Zealand's Tim Seifert during an International One Day cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
India's Arshdeep Singh fields the ball while bowling to New Zealand during an International One Day cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Will Young plays a shot against India during an International One Day cricket match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. (Marty Melville/Photosport via AP)
India's players celebrate during Game 2 of the one day international cricket between New Zealand and India, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Wellington, New Zealand. Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)
India's Shreyas Iyer bats during Game 2 of the one day international cricket between New Zealand and India, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, in Wellington, New Zealand. (Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)
