Iliana Rupert Applauds Golden State Valkyries’ Unity After Climbing Into Final Playoff Spot

Iliana Rupert hailed the Golden State Valkyries' togetherness after they leapfrogged the Washington Mystics into the final playoff spot.

The Valkyries held on against a late flurry from Washington to earn a 68-67 win at CareFirst Arena on Thursday.

Golden State were led by Kate Martin's 14 points, with Rupert (11), Temi Fagbente and Veronica Burton (both 10) also hitting double figures.

They were also helped by Mystics guard Brittney Sykes missing a game-winning shot at the buzzer as the Valkyries held on to their 13th win of the season.

"It's never easy to win on the road," Rupert said. "We knew that it was going to be tough.

"We were really together. Even when they were coming back, we made some stops, we stayed confident in each other, and that was the most important thing."

A strong start meant they led for most of the game, but fell behind in the final 90 seconds before Janelle Salaun connected for one final basket with a minute left.

It proved to be the final basket in the fourth quarter, with the Valkyries only scoring six points in that period.

But head coach Natalie Nakase was delighted with Salaun's game-winning move and wants to continue pushing her improvement.

"[Janelle] is versatile," Nakase said. "Just having that versatility to go against any type of defender.

"I think that's key. Just credit to our staff and her team-mates for everyone to continue to believe in her and just pour a ton of confidence in her.

"But she already has a chip on her shoulder. She already has this kind of like Kobe [Bryant], Michael Jordan-ish mentality, so we really don't have to give her too much confidence. She has it."

The Valkyries are now 13-13 for the season and are now eighth in the rankings after winning their last two games.