Valkyries Star Makes Feelings Clear After Heated Moment With Kelsey Plum

Tempers flared between the Valkyries and Sparks.

Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) before the game against the Indiana Fever at Chase Center. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Golden State Valkyries won the battle of the season against the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday, Aug. 9 with a 72-59 win that gives the Valkyries the advantage should a playoff spot between the two teams comes down to a record-based tiebreaker.

The game was defined by strong performances throughout for the Valkyries, as they dominated through all four quarters with standout performances by guard Veronica Burton and forward Cecila Zandalasini, who combined for 30 points.

As vital as the win was for Golden State, it was the actions of a notable Sparks player that has drawn the most attention since the game has wrapped. With just under four minutes remaining in the game and the Sparks trailing by 15, star Los Angles guard Kelsey Plum stuck her leg straight out while defending Burton, tripping Burton in the process and causing her to fall flat on her stomach. Plum was charged with a flagrant foul for the action.

Stuff like this is why it’s hard for me to defend Kelsey Plum sometimes. She has these random moments where you’re just like—what was she thinking? She was playing terribly, and honestly, it felt like she was trying to get herself ejected. pic.twitter.com/BDdYmzjm9O

— Jaime Lardis (@JaimeLardis) August 10, 2025

Burton took the foul harshly and popped off the ground to charge toward Plum, standing above her and beginning to exchange words before the two players were separated. After the game, Burton was asked about the moment between the two.

If Burton had any thought of foul play or intention on Plum's part, she didn't express it. The Valkyries star made her feelings clear that it's part of the game, it was called a flagrant, and everybody moves on.

"Yeah, I don't know. I think, obviously, it's just part of the game, you know?" Burton said (via Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints). "It got called the flagrant, so we just move on from there."

Veronica Burton on Kelsey Plum's tripping flagrant foul on her:

"Yeah, I don't know. I think, obviously, it's just part of the game, you know? It got called the flagrant, so we just move on from there." https://t.co/wADdUripTw

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) August 10, 2025

Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts asserted in her own postgame conference that Plum was only attempting a basketball play.

"The flagrant, she was trying to kick the ball," Roberts said postgame. "She didn't mean to. I didn’t see the replay, but I saw it live, and I know she didn’t mean anything by it. She’s not a dirty player."

Regardless of intention or actuality, Plum's kick on Saturday added fire to an already budding rivalry between the two California teams, echoing another famous San Francisco and Los Angeles sports feud.