"I just tried to be ready for the moment, Leite said, almost sheepishly. The first-year French floor general, who has averaged 7.9 points and 2.1 assists over 34 games, was more than ready for the moment. She took control of an 84-80 victory that punched the Valkyries' ticket to the WNBA playoffs guaranteeing a home game that will be played in San Jose in mid-September in their first year of existence, scoring 15 points and dishing out five assists off the bench."
"After the final buzzer went off, Leite joined her teammates at midcourt, throwing on black 2025 Playoffs shirts and posing for a celebratory photo few outside of Ballhalla could have predicted before the season. The brash, assertive blur of purple-clad energy one who shot 6 of 8 from the field bore little resemblance to the timid rookie coach Natalie Nakase watched in training camp, the then 20-year-old who had been left unprotected by Dallas in the expansion draft."
"She was telling everyone where to go, Nakase said. That's the growth I've seen from Carla, from not saying a lot, to now she's taking English lessons, so she's feeling very comfortable calling out her teammates. She was a willing passer, connecting multiple times with fellow French rookie Janelle Salaun for critical 3-pointers. After all, in Leite's eyes, why wouldn't she want to pass the ball to a player who was 3 of 4 from 3-point range?"
Carla Leite delivered a decisive bench performance, scoring 15 points and adding five assists to lift the Valkyries to an 84-80 win. The victory clinched a WNBA playoff berth and guaranteed a home game in San Jose during the franchise's inaugural season. Leite maneuvered past defenders with a signature right-to-left crossover and converted a falling right-handed floater. The 20-year-old French guard averaged 7.9 points and 2.1 assists over 34 games and shot 6 of 8 in the contest. Teammate Janelle Salaun provided spacing with multiple three-pointers, hitting 3 of 4 from deep.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]