Justė Jocytė plays record minutes in the WNBA

Justė Jocytė reached a new WNBA playing-time record as the Golden State Valkyries won their fourth straight game, defeating the Portland Fire 86-69 on the road.

The 20-year-old Lithuanian spent 21 minutes on the court, surpassing her previous best of 16 minutes. She scored two points on one-of-three two-point shooting and missed all three of her three-point attempts. She also collected two rebounds, made one assist and committed one turnover.

Golden State controlled the game almost from the start. The Valkyries opened a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter and extended their advantage to a record 26 points in the third. They led 28-14 after the first quarter, 47-25 at halftime and 70-51 after three quarters.

Tiffany Hayes led the Valkyries with 18 points. Kayla Thornton scored 17, while Kaitlyn Chen added 15. Kaila Charles and Veronica Burton each contributed 11 points, with Charles also recording eight rebounds and five assists, and Burton six assists.

Emily Engstler and Megan DiLeo led Portland with 12 points apiece. Bridget Carleton scored 11. Golden State improved to 29-11, held second place in the Western Conference and secured a playoff place ahead of schedule.