But the Valkyries aren’t making excuses for the loss in a very winnable game. In her post-game press conference, Golden State’s Monique Billings was hard on herself and her teammates.

A sloppy first quarter that saw the Valkyries commit five turnovers and make just 4 of 10 shots put Golden State behind early. Using a 7-0 run to close the period, Dallas led 23-16 after the first quarter – the first time the Wings had a lead after the first 10 minutes of a game this season.

Paige Bueckers scored 20 points, Arike Ogunbowale added 19 points, six assists and three steals, and the Dallas Wings won their first home game of the season, 80-71 over the Golden State Valkyries.