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Valkyries land guard after defeating Sparks
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- Valkyries land guard after defeating Sparks
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The post Valkyries land guard after defeating Sparks appeared first on ClutchPoints .
he Golden State Valkyries signed veteran guard Aerial Powers as they continue to adjust their roster with players leaving for the upcoming EuroBasket tournament. Powers' addition follows the Valkyries' 79-74 win over the Los Angeles Sparks and comes as the team's point guard, Julie Vanloo , departs for EuroBasket.
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Golden State made the signing announcement Tuesday afternoon on social media.
Powers, 31, was the fifth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft out of Michigan State and has played for the Dallas Wings , Washington Mystics , Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream . She averaged 8.6 points per game in 17 games last season with Atlanta and has a career average of 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 39.7% from the field, as reported by Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Powers, who helped the Mystics win the WNBA title in 2019, has faced challenges with injuries throughout her career. A hamstring injury in 2020 limited her to six games that season. In 2021, she tore the UCL in her right thumb, followed by an ankle sprain in 2023 and a calf injury last season.
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Despite that, Powers' ability to rebound and her 33.6% career shooting percentage from three-point range make her a valuable addition to the Valkyries bench. She joins forward Laeticia Amihere , who was brought back to the team on Sunday after being on the preseason roster. Amihere did not play in Monday's win but is expected to have more opportunities with three frontcourt players leaving for EuroBasket .
Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase acknowledged travel violations have been an issue for the team, as the Valkyries lead the WNBA with 18 traveling calls in nine games.
"I brought it up with the league," Nakase said. "We're all trying to be better.
The Valkyries will now look to integrate Powers quickly as they continue to compete in the 2025 WNBA season while adjusting to roster changes .
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