20
Jun
Match Report
Bibby stars in WNBA debut to beat Clark's Fever
Aussie Chloe Bibby being guarded by Sophie Cunningham in the WNBA. Photo: Getty Images
Aussie Chloe Bibby showed she belonged in the WNBA after an impressive return for Golden State
- Chloe Bibby starred off the bench for Golden State in her WNBA regular season debut, scoring 12 points in 24 minutes
- Bibby spent the preseason with the Valkyries before being released
- She previously played in the WNBL with the Perth Lynx
Australian forward Chloe Bibby looked like a WNBA veteran as she starred of the bench in her first taste of regular season minutes, helping the Golden State Valkyries to an 88-77 victory Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever at the Chase Center.
Bibby, who spent the preseason with the Valkyries, was re-signed by the expansion franchise earlier in the week and fit right in, scoring 12 points in 24 minutes in her reserve role. The former Perth Lynx star connected on 3-from-6 from the three-point line and was a plus-25 for Golden State.
It was a massive occasion for Bibby, who received WNBA interest after dominating in Europe the past two seasons.
The Valkyries established control early, taking a 12-8 lead at the end of a defensively-focused first quarter. They maintained a narrow lead throughout, heading into halftime with a 38-31 advantage after both teams struggled with turnovers in the opening periods.
With 7:04 remaining in the fourth quarter, Indiana's Aliyah Boston cut the deficit to just one point with a layup making it 64-63, but the Valkyries responded emphatically. Kayla Thornton hit a crucial three-pointer with 2:33 left in the game, extending Golden State's lead to 81-70 and effectively putting the contest out of reach.
Veronica Burton contributed 11 points, four assists and nearly two steals for the Valkyries, while Monique Billings provided eight points and five rebounds including six critical points in the fourth quarter. The home team's offensive efficiency improved significantly in the second half, finishing with a respectable 42.9% shooting from the field.
For Indiana, Kelsey Mitchell supported Clark with 17 points but couldn't find her rhythm from beyond the arc, while Aliyah Boston contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. The Fever shot a similar 43.9% from the field but were hampered by 17 turnovers compared to Golden State's seven.
Fellow Australian Steph Talbot, who recently re-signed with the Adelaide Lightning, started and played 15 minutes for the Valkyries. She didn't score but had three steals and three rebounds for the home side.
