Valkyries rally past the Sparks 76-75 to secure No. 2 seed and spoil Nneka Ogwumike’s final game

Kaitlyn Chen led the Golden State Valkyries to a thrilling 76-75 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night. The final game saw former WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike play her last on the court.

Chen chipped in 14 points out of her 18 total, while Gabby Williams added eight points in the final 90 seconds. The Valkyries closed on a 17-4 spurt, securing the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs. They will face Dallas in the first round starting Sunday.

Ogwumike finished with a career-high 17 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists, marking her 19th double-double of the season and 134th of her career. She announced her retirement following the season. Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell each scored 15 points for the Sparks.

Los Angeles briefly led 69-57 with 4:42 remaining, but did not score again until the final second. Williams took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 points in just 20 minutes. She made clutch shots, including a long 3-pointer and a fast-break layup to trim the deficit to 72-70. After a missed shot by the Sparks, Williams hit another 3-pointer to take the lead 73-72.

With 8.5 seconds left, Kiah Stokes secured the defensive rebound, and Thornton sealed the win with free throws, giving Golden State their fourth consecutive victory this season against the Sparks.