BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Golden State Valkyries defeated the New York Liberty 87-70 on Thursday night at Barclays Center, using a dominant first quarter and a stifling defensive effort to improve to 3-1 on the season.

Golden State opened the game with a 25-15 first quarter, building a lead it never relinquished. The Valkyries shot 13 of 35 from three-point range and forced 14 turnovers, turning them into critical scoring opportunities. New York, which entered the game with a 3-0 record at home, dropped to 3-2 overall.

Veronica Burton led the Valkyries with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists in 27 minutes, directing an offense that produced an offensive rating of 110.3 on 79 possessions. Gabby Williams added 16 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including three 3-pointers, along with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes off the bench. Kaila Charles contributed 13 points and 7 rebounds in 24 minutes, and Janelle Salaun finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds.

Kayla Thornton scored 11 points with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Laeticia Amihere added 5 points and 8 rebounds in 13 minutes. Kiah Stokes had 6 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, hitting a key 3-pointer in the second quarter. Tiffany Hayes scored 8 points off the bench.

Breanna Stewart led New York with 18 points and 9 rebounds in 30 minutes, shooting 7 of 14 from the field. Jonquel Jones posted 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, though she shot just 6 of 15 and committed two turnovers. Rebekah Gardner scored 12 points and had a steal and a block, and Pauline Astier added 8 points.

The game began with Golden State controlling the tempo. After Jonquel Jones opened the scoring for New York with a layup, Veronica Burton answered with a 3-pointer before assisting Gabby Williams on another triple. Williams then hit a 3 of her own from 25 feet to push the lead to 8-0. Kayla Thornton’s pullup jumper made it 10-0, forcing a Liberty timeout.

New York responded with a layup from Stewart, but Burton hit a stepback 3 and Charles added a corner 3 to extend the lead to 19-4. Amihere’s driving layup made it 23-7, and Charles’ floating jumper in the lane pushed the margin to 25-9 before the Liberty closed the quarter with a layup from Astier.

The second quarter saw both teams struggle offensively, but Golden State maintained its advantage. Williams hit another 3 early, and Charles scored on a driving layup to make it 32-13. Stewart scored 6 points in the period, but the Valkyries closed the half with a 3-pointer from Stokes and led 42-34 at the break.

In the third quarter, Golden State expanded its lead. Burton hit a 3, Kaila Charles scored in the paint, and Thornton converted a layup and a free throw after a steal to push the lead to 54-39. Jonquel Jones scored inside, but Janelle Salaun hit three free throws, and Laeticia Amihere added a layup off a feed from Tiffany Hayes to make it 60-42. A layup by Kayla Thornton off a steal gave Golden State a 63-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Liberty could not mount a comeback in the final period. Jones scored on a layup and converted a three-point play, but Janelle Salaun answered with a 3-pointer. Veronica Burton drove for a layup, and Hayes sank a 3 to make it 73-55. Williams nailed a 3 from 27 feet for a 78-59 lead with 4:39 remaining. New York’s bench narrowed the gap slightly, but Golden State’s defense held the Liberty to 24 points in the quarter, matching their own output.

Golden State shot 28 of 71 from the field, 13 of 35 from 3-point range and 18 of 25 from the free throw line. New York shot 26 of 62 from the field, 6 of 24 from beyond the arc and 12 of 16 from the line. The Valkyries committed only 5 turnovers and forced 14, a differential that proved decisive. They also outrebounded New York 29-28, led by Charles’ 7 boards.

The victory marked Golden State’s second straight win after a loss to Chicago on May 13. New York saw its three-game winning streak snapped.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 15,862.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of New York 92, Golden State 72, with the Liberty given a 69.90 percent probability to win via its ELO system. New York was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 7.5 points. The total score of 87 went over the over-under line of 166.5.