The Valkyries led in the fourth quarter but could not capture a road win in Phoenix on Thursday night as the Mercury beat them 86-77.

Golden State took an eight-point lead when Veronica Burton made a layup with just over four minutes to play. Phoenix responded with an 18-1 run to finish the game as the Valkyries went 0-for-7 on field goals with two turnovers the rest of the way. They have now lost four games in a row.

“Missed free throws. Missed layups. Missed opportunities,” Burton said in a televised postgame interview. “But we grow from it, we learn from it. And it’s part of the game.

“It’s early. We’re young, we’re learning.”

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was disappointed in the way her team played down the stretch, which included two turnovers in the final 17 seconds while t

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