The Golden State Valkyries beat the Connecticut Sun 89-64 on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The win completed a season sweep: Golden State also beat Connecticut 97-70 on May 25 and 79-64 on July 10, finishing 3-0 against the Sun this year. Tipoff was 7 p.m. ET. On Thursday, August 27, the Valkyries were scheduled to play the New York Liberty at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video, while the Washington Mystics were scheduled to play the Phoenix Mercury; there was no Sun rematch on that night’s schedule.
Janelle Salaün scored 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and made four 3-pointers. Point guard Veronica Burton ran the offense cleanly, finishing with 12 points and 7 assists without a single turnover in 20 minutes. The Golden State bench chipped in too, with Kaila Charles scoring 14 points and Kaitlyn Chen adding 10. Golden State had entered the night second in the WNBA standings; Connecticut was near the bottom of the league.
Rookie guard Charlisse Leger-Walker led Connecticut with a season-high 17 points, hitting 5 of 6 shots from the field, 3 of 4 three-pointers and 4 of 5 free throws, plus 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 17 minutes. It capped a busy week for Connecticut, which had beaten the Chicago Sky 87-81 the night before behind a career-high 26 points and 10 rebounds from forward Aaliyah Edwards. Leger-Walker, from New Zealand, was Connecticut’s No. 18 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft and has been reported as the first Māori and first New Zealand woman drafted into the WNBA. She joined the Sun after winning the 2026 NCAA national championship with UCLA, having started her college career at Washington State.
Bleacher Nation reported that Wednesday’s game was the Valkyries’ final regular-season visit to Connecticut before the Sun’s relocation. In May 2026, the WNBA and NBA approved a $300 million sale of the Sun to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta. The team is set to relocate to Houston for the 2027 season, ending the Sun’s run playing home games at Mohegan Sun Arena. Multiple outlets, including CBS Sports and NBA.com, have reported that the relocated franchise will be renamed the Houston Comets.
Sources and further reading
- The Connecticut Sun Select Charlisse Leger-Walker
- Connecticut Sun to relocate to Houston for 2027 season
- Connecticut Sun vs Golden State Valkyries May 25, 2026 Game Summary
- Charlisse Leger-Walker Stats
- Golden State Valkyries vs Connecticut Sun Aug 26, 2026 Game Summary
- WNBA, NBA Approve Sale of Sun; Relocation to Houston in 2027
- Game Preview: Valkyries at Connecticut Sun – 8/26/26