After snagging their first-ever WNBA championship title in 28 years, the New York Liberty are hungrier than ever. Just five games into the season, they’re already sitting at 5-0, perched at the top of the WNBA standings. That momentum comes off the back of two consecutive wins against the league’s expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries. While the first game was a breeze, ending in a dominant 95-67 win, Game 2 was a different story. The Valkyries made key adjustments and put up a real fight, but it still wasn’t enough to outsmart Sandy Brondello’s tough-as-nails Liberty squad.

When Golden State walked into Barclays Center for Game 2, they brought visible growth, poise, and grit. Sure, they still lost, but the 82–77 scoreline painted a far more competitive picture. And at the heart of their performance? Rookie forward Janelle Salaün. She didn’t just show up—she made fans believe. For those unfamiliar, Salaün is a silver medalist with France at the Paris Olympics and a former Finals MVP with Italian club Beretta Famila Schio. Though she was on the Valkyries’ roster earlier, overseas commitments delayed her debut until this Thursday.

From the moment she stepped back in, Salaün made it clear she was ready. “Physically, we run a lot. I love that, actually,” she said. “I think this is the part of my game that will translate the most, the physicality, and I feel it. … It’s still basketball. I’m still playing with great players, so not much difference, just things that look alike.”

Her impact was immediate. She dropped 18 points and hauled in 13 rebounds, including 9 on the defensive glass. Her 7-of-19 shooting might not scream efficiency, but the way she battled, stretching the floor with three triples, hustling for second-chance points, and challenging WNBA MVPs inside, sparked life into the Valkyries. And it wasn’t just her. The entire Golden State squad looked sharper, more composed, and more connected.

Just consider, in Game 1, they shot just 33.9% from the field and finished with a flat 67 points. But in Game 2, they raised their shooting to a respectable 40.3%, scored 77 points, and genuinely looked like they belonged on the same court as the Liberty. That progress didn’t go unnoticed—even Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu admitted the challenge.

“I wish I knew [what went wrong], but they played a great game. I mean, I could tell you probably why, we got out-rebounded, out-assisted. I think they were able to come down while we weren’t scoring, so they set their offense and picked us apart,” she said. And Sabrina had a point.

Clearly, Golden State outperformed New York in several key areas. Their ball movement saw a massive upgrade, jumping from 16 assists in Game 1 to 25 in Game 2—largely thanks to Julie Vanloo, who came off the bench to deliver a team-high 8 assists. That kind of unselfish play was exactly what the Valkyries needed.

Turnovers were another big shift. In Game 1, the Valkyries had 20, many of them unforced, but in Game 2, they brought that number down to just 13. That’s a huge swing and allowed them to settle into their half-court offense instead of constantly scrambling in transition. It wasn’t flashy, but it was effective.

Rebounding was also an area where Golden State flipped the narrative. They grabbed 41 boards in Game 2 compared to 34 in the first, including 15 offensive rebounds. Even with Liberty stars like Breanna Stewart and Sabrina putting up strong numbers, GSV didn’t look overwhelmed. They clogged the paint, contested tough shots, and tried to control the tempo. Salaün’s presence was key to anchoring their defense, while perimeter players like Veronica Burton and Carla Leite took on tough matchups without backing down. But even with all that improvement, it still wasn’t enough, thanks to one clever strategy by Brondello that helped limit Salaün’s dominance.

The coach herself explained it best: “She’s big. She’s got that high release. She can get the shot off. She’s improved—an improved three-point shooter these last few years… That’s why I probably wasn’t happy at the start, because I said, face guard her. If you can’t block her out, just go and hit her. Don’t let her rebound,” Brondello shared in a post-game conference.

And it wasn’t just talk, it happened. Salaün, who averages just 1.3 fouls per game, was hit with five personal fouls in this matchup. So clearly, Liberty’s strategy was to get physical, frustrate her, and limit her impact. And it worked. But if you think it was just the physical game plan that saved Liberty, it wasn’t.

How did the New York Liberty win despite the Valkyries outperforming them?

Despite being outperformed in nearly every other category, it was the free throws that truly made the difference for the New York Liberty. While Golden State was called for 24 fouls, compared to Liberty’s 20, that slight edge led to a massive gap at the line. And, New York took full advantage for that, attempting 27 free throws and sinking 23 of them, while the Valkyries managed just 9 makes from 14 attempts.

Amongst all, Breanna Stewart was the biggest beneficiary of those whistles, getting to the line 19 times and converting 15. Not just that, she even filled the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and, interestingly, a staggering sixteen fouls drawn.

She wasn’t doing it alone, though. Sabrina Ionescu stepped up in a big way, knocking down six threes on her way to 24 points. Together, Stewie and Ionescu accounted for more than half of Liberty’s total scoring. They were backed by solid support as well—Kennedy Burke chipped in 11 points, and the bench added 10 to help push Liberty. Well, all this was enough to secure the win, even if it wasn’t the most balanced performance.

But now, the real test is coming. With both Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx sitting undefeated at 5-0, their upcoming showdown is one fans are circling. If Liberty wants to keep that perfect record intact, they’ll need more than just favorable whistles.