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The Indiana Fever entered Thursday's game against the Golden State Valkyries as heavy favorites. They were on a two-game winning run, even recently booking a ticket to the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.
However, the Valkyries spoiled their streak as it was just getting started, taking down Caitlin Clark and company, 88-77.
Kayla Thornton led the way for Golden State with 16 points and six rebounds, while Tiffany Hayes added 14 points, three boards and five assists.
Defense played a big role in the Valkyries' victory, as they forced the Fever to commit 16 turnovers. They were also more physical defensively, limiting their visitors to 8-of-29 shooting from deep.
Clark shot just 3-of-11 for the Fever, further highlighting how much the team struggled. The All-Star guard finished with 11 points, although she still recorded seven rebounds and nine assists.
Following the game, the Valkyries couldn't help but rub their win in the Fever players' faces. On social media, as they posted the final scores, the team also included a rather savage caption.
"now you know," the Valkyries wrote.
now you know. pic.twitter.com/sIHMmJD1n3
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) June 20, 2025
For those not familiar, the phrase "Now You Know" is the Fever's slogan for the 2025 campaign. Before the season started, the franchise unveiled the new campaign, explaining that it reaffirms "Indiana as the epicenter of basketball and women's sports."
The Valkyries have every reason to be happy about their win, though. The 2025 campaign is the team's debut season as the WNBA's newest franchise, and they are already doing well, improving to 6-6 after their latest victory.
According to the WNBA, that is the second-best start for an expansion team in history, with the Valkyries joining the Detroit Shock.
Golden State's WNBA franchise was awarded in 2023, and last May 2024, the team name and logo were revealed. Now, the Valkyries are already a full-fledged WNBA team that appears ready to contend for a playoff spot.
More must-reads:
- Three-time All-Star will be key to Fever weathering troubling Caitlin Clark injury update
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Golden State Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
The Golden State Valkyries will be without their leading scorer and emotional anchor for the remainder of the season. Forward Kayla Thornton underwent season-ending surgery on her right knee, the team announced Friday. Thornton, 32, suffered the injury during a practice session earlier this week. The setback marks a significant blow to the Valkyries’ playoff hopes as they currently sit ninth in the WNBA standings with a 10-12 record. In her first season with Golden State, Thornton emerged as the team’s most consistent two-way contributor, earning her first All-Star selection in the process. She leads the Valkyries in points (14.0), rebounds (7.0), and steals (1.3) per game, while also adding 1.5 assists and attempting a career-high 6.5 three-pointers per contest. Though she’s connected on just 28.2% from deep, she’s converted 44.8% of her two-point field goals. Thornton joined the Valkyries in the 2025 Expansion Draft after helping the New York Liberty capture a WNBA championship off the bench in 2024. Her veteran presence quickly became a defining trait of a Golden State team that has surpassed expectations in its inaugural season. “KT is super reliable,” Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase said earlier this season. “She’s built confidence through her hard work. I love when people show me that they want to be that person. They just don’t talk about it, but KT backs it up with action and that’s what I love about her. When she is consistent and vocal, we usually come out with a W.” With Thornton out for the season, Golden State will look to veterans Tiffany Hayes and Veronica Burton to fill the void on both ends of the floor. The team enters a crucial stretch as it battles for a spot in the postseason. Thornton is expected to be sidelined until the 2026 WNBA season. More WNBA News Rumors
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Had 7 Words After Blue Jays' Historic Win Over Tigers
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in his seventh season with the Toronto Blue Jays, having made his MLB debut in 2019. From the moment he stepped onto a big-league field, Guerrero Jr. showcased formidable offensive talent. However, it was in the 2021 season that he fully broke out as a superstar. That season, the 26-year-old slugger finished second in American League MVP voting while leading all of baseball with 48 home runs and 123 runs scored. In April 2025, Guerrero Jr. secured his long-term future in Toronto by signing a 14-year, $500 million contract extension—the richest deal in Blue Jays history and the second-largest in MLB history. He has justified that massive investment with sustained dominance, earning his fifth consecutive All-Star selection this year. On Friday, the Blue Jays defeated the Detroit Tigers 6–2, thanks in large part to Guerrero Jr.’s contributions. He went 2-for-5, recording a pair of doubles, scoring twice, and driving in one run. Asked afterward how it felt to be on a personal hot streak amid Toronto’s post–All-Star-break surge, Guerrero Jr. replied, “If the team is winning, I’m hot.” Friday’s victory marked Toronto’s third straight win and improved their record to 62–42, the best mark in the league. It is the first time the franchise has held the top overall record this late in the season since 1992. The win also stretched the Blue Jays’ lead in the tightly contested AL East to 5.5 games after the New York Yankees fell to the Philadelphia Phillies. Over his last seven games, Guerrero Jr. has been scorching hot, batting .483 (14-for-29) with a 1.255 OPS, including one home run and seven RBIs.
‘In What World Does This Make Sense?????’: Oilers and $63M Forward
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
Knicks, Warriors Could Make Blockbuster All-Star Trade
The New York Knicks are a team that has been thrown around in trade rumors all offseason long. The Knicks were eliminated in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers and are looking for any way imaginable to get back in the thick of things for next season's playoff run. Sporting News analyst Tyler Rourke suggested a trade that would send Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns to the Golden State Warriors for Jimmy Butler and Quinten Post. "Towns could be holding Jalen Brunson and the rest of the roster back with his high volume of shots, which is why the front office may be willing to deal him to another team — despite just landing him ahead of the 2024-25 season," Rourke wrote. "If that is the case, the Golden State Warriors would be the perfect option, and all it would take is his former teammate, Jimmy Butler and Quinten Post." "The Knicks have built a tough defensive identity with players like Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson. Adding Butler to that group would solidify the best defensive unit in the league." "While Post doesn’t have the name value as Towns, he does have the ability to stretch the floor as a big man and will require less usage." The Knicks have uncertainty with Towns coming up in the final three years of his deal, so getting him out in favor of Butler would give the team more flexibility down the line. That being said, Towns can still be one of the best players in the NBA, especially at the center position. The Knicks made a big trade for Towns less than a year ago, so dealing him would not be something that the team should take lightly.
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