Three games on Monday's slate, and defense was the theme across the board. Golden State smothered Washington in one of the lowest-scoring games of the season, generating 10 steals and outscoring the Mystics from the bench by 26 points. Connecticut survived a back-and-forth battle with Minnesota that came down to the final minutes, with Brittney Griner's near-perfect shooting night proving decisive. And Seattle ran away from Los Angeles behind a dominant transition game and a career-caliber night from Flau'jae Johnson. Here's how it all went down.

Golden State Valkyries 62, Washington Mystics 49

This was ugly basketball, and Golden State was significantly better at it. Washington shot just 30 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from three, while Golden State's bench alone outscored the entire Mystics roster by 26 points. The Valkyries led by as many as 15 and never let Washington within one possession of a real comeback. Final: 62-49, Golden State.

Kaitlyn Chen was Golden State's most efficient player, going 6-of-9 from the field for 14 points at 74.2 percent true shooting with four assists and just one turnover. Kaila Charles added eight points on 4-of-10 shooting with five rebounds, and Kiah Stokes contributed nine rebounds, three blocks, and six points off the bench. The Valkyries' 10 steals and 14 points off Washington's turnovers reflected a defense that never let the Mystics settle into any rhythm, and Golden State's 39 bench points against Washington's 13 was the widest depth gap of any game on Monday's slate.

Washington had almost nothing go right offensively. Kiki Iriafen led the Mystics with 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting, and Shakira Austin posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, but she shot just 27.3 percent from the field. Lauren Betts added seven points on 3-of-7 shooting. Washington's 17.6 percent three-point shooting and their inability to generate anything resembling an offensive rhythm made this one of the most one-sided defensive performances of the season for either team.

GSV 62 · WAS 49

Connecticut Sun 90, Minnesota Lynx 89

This game went back and forth for four quarters and came down to the final possessions. Minnesota led for stretches, Connecticut answered every time, and neither team ever built more than a nine-point cushion. In the end, it was Brittney Griner's dominant interior performance that gave Connecticut just enough to hold on. Final: 90-89, Connecticut.

Griner was nearly unstoppable, going 11-of-14 from the field for 29 points at 77 percent true shooting with 10 rebounds for a double-double, three assists, and two blocks. Her 20 points in the paint on 76.9 percent shooting inside the arc gave Connecticut a scoring source that Minnesota could never fully contain. Kennedy Burke added 16 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting (3-of-4 from three), and Leila Lacan chipped in 13 points with four steals. Olivia Nelson-Ododa contributed 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench. Connecticut's 58.3 percent second-chance conversion and their ability to get to the free throw line 29 times were what ultimately tipped a razor-close game in their favor.

Minnesota fought until the final buzzer. Kayla McBride led the Lynx with 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting (4-of-8 from three), and Courtney Williams added 23 points with nine rebounds and six assists. Natasha Howard chipped in 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Minnesota shot 33.3 percent from three as a team and generated 24 assists on 31 made field goals, reflecting an offense that moved the ball well but simply came up one bucket short in a game this tight.

CON 90 · MIN 89

Seattle Storm 82, Los Angeles Sparks 64

Los Angeles kept this competitive for a quarter, but Seattle's transition game and offensive rebounding took over from there. The Storm generated 15 fast-break points, outrebounded the Sparks 48-44 despite trailing in total rebounds, and built a lead as large as 26 behind a complete team performance. Final: 82-64, Seattle.

Flau'jae Johnson led the way with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting (3-of-9 from three), adding three assists and a steal despite four turnovers. Natisha Hiedeman was nearly as efficient, going 5-of-9 from the field for 15 points at 69.7 percent true shooting with four assists and three steals. Jade Melbourne provided 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with four assists, and Awa Fam added seven points with four steals in a two-way effort that fueled Seattle's transition game throughout. Seattle's 25 points off Los Angeles's 19 turnovers reflected a defense that turned every mistake into instant offense.

Los Angeles struggled to find any consistent rhythm. Dearica Hamby led the Sparks with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Nneka Ogwumike posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds despite shooting just 38.5 percent from the field. Erica Wheeler dished seven assists but shot 1-of-4. Los Angeles's 33.8 percent field goal shooting and 17.2 percent three-point shooting (5-of-29) reflected a team that could not generate enough offense to keep pace with Seattle's transition attack.

SEA 82 · LAS 64

Monday's slate was defined by defense and depth. Golden State's suffocating performance against Washington, built on a 26-point bench scoring advantage, was the most complete defensive showing of the night. Connecticut's survival over Minnesota came down to Griner's dominant interior scoring in a game that could have gone either way until the final possession. And Seattle's win over Los Angeles showed what a healthy transition game and balanced scoring can do against a team still searching for offensive consistency.

Star of the Night: Brittney Griner, Connecticut Sun

29 points | 11-of-14 FG | 77.0% true shooting | 10 rebounds | 3 assists | 2 blocks | Double-Double

Griner's near-perfect shooting night in a one-point win over Minnesota is the standout individual performance of the night. Her ability to score at will in the paint, combined with a double-double and the poise to close out a game that came down to the final possessions, makes her the clear choice.

Dud of the Night: Rae Burrell, Los Angeles Sparks

5 points | 2-of-11 FG | 18.2% field goal percentage | 4 turnovers | minus-20

Burrell's 2-of-11 shooting night in a 18-point loss reflects a performance that offered nothing to a Sparks offense that badly needed scoring punch against Seattle's defense. Four turnovers compounded the inefficiency, and her minus-20 was among the worst individual plus/minus marks of the night across all three games.