The Golden State Valkyries faced off against the defending WNBA champions, the New York Liberty, on Tuesday. They dropped the first of back-to-back games in New York, 95-67, bringing their record to an even 2-2 on their season.

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

While feeling fortunate to build the foundation of a new WNBA franchise, Thornton was stripped of the opportunity to defend the Liberty’s title, which was the first in franchise history.