The Golden State Valkyries finished their homestand on Friday against the Minnesota Lynx to start a stretch of six straight games against the only teams with a better record than them at this point in the season. The Valkyries looked ready to finally get their first win over the Lynx as they built a lead in the first half, but a disastrous final minute let the visitors back in the game. The game went back and forth in the second half, but Minnesota’s defense kept Golden State from making the final run that they need to regain the lead in an 81-75 loss.
The Lineup
Neither team made changes to their starting lineup or set any of their developmental players as active for this game. The Valkyries returned to their smallball rotations with some slight adjustments to the substitution pattern to take into account how the bench unit had played in recent games. They ended up needing another center option in the second half, which meant that Laeticia Amihere got extended playing time.
First Quarter
Neither team had success on their opening possessions, but the Valkyries got the first basket after Cecilia Zandalasini received an inbounds pass and drove for a tough basket. Minnesota got fouled on a three-point attempt and made all of the free throws for the lead before Zandalasini ended the team’s tough shooting start on a well-contested shot. The Lynx continued to answer as Gabby Williams was the next Golden State player to score with a three-point play on transition basket. Zandalasini also had a three-point play with another drive and Williams had another layup before the media timeout.
More bench players entered the game to close out the quarter as Minnesota scored first with free throws to only trail by a single point. Janelle Salaun found space on the wing for a three-pointer and Kaitlyn Chen made a couple of baskets to continue her momentum from the last game, including just getting a shot off before the shot clock expired. Tiffany Hayes made a pair of free throws to leave the lead at 22-16.
Second Quarter
Minnesota scored the first basket of the quarter, but Kaitlyn Chen was left open on the wing and nailed the three-pointer. Kiah Stokes used a subtle cut to get open for a layup and force the Lynx into a timeout. They got baskets on their first two possessions after the stoppage to lead to the first Valkyries timeout. Gabby Williams connected on a three-pointer and then great ball movement set up a closer shot for her, but she did miss the free throw on a defensive three-second violation. Nia Coffey made three consecutive three-pointers in a stretch that was barely over a minute with a Janelle Salaun response to the first shot keeping the Lynx from tying the score, leading to another Golden State timeout.
Cecilia Zandalasini made three-pointers on two straight trips down the floor to give the Valkyries breathing room again and then Veronica Burton got into the act after a slower start to the night. Kaila Charles stretched the lead out to twelve points with a layup and it looked like Golden State would be in great position to end the half. Minnesota was able to respond though and got fouled on a three-point attempt, making two free throws when a replay review did not change the status of the foul. The Valkyries aggressively tried to get a final shot off only to get whistled for a turnover out of bounds and then a foul on the Lynx’s last three-point attempt with all of the free throws being made to leave them trailing 46-41.
Third Quarter
Minnesota opened the half with a three-pointer, which Kayla Thornton responded to with her own make beyond the arc. The Lynx were able to find some success in the paint with three consecutive baskets giving them the lead. Cecilia Zandalasini scored immediately, but another Minnesota three-pointer led to a Valkyries timeout with neither team finding a way to score in the minute after that.
Cecilia Zandalasini seized the initiative again and got to the free throw line while Janelle Salaun returned with another three-pointer. Two more Zandalasini free throws gave the Valkyries a small cushion, but Minnesota scored again and then came up with a steal take the lead back. After surrendering another basket, Salaun scored twice on offensive rebounds to restore the advantage. Laeticia Amihere had two impressive blocks only for the Lynx to score on their third try and she was not quite able to get her putback attempt up before the clock expired, leaving Golden State trailing 63-62 heading into the final period.
Fourth Quarter
Minnesota scored the first basket of the quarter, which Gabby Williams responded to with a layup after getting a favorable defensive matchup. The Lynx scored the next six points, prompting Valkyries substitutions to get towards their closing lineup. Williams made a three-pointer from the corner to end the drought before it could get to three minutes, but another Minnesota basket led to a timeout.
Neither team scored for over two minutes as Laeticia Amihere continued to play well, but she was only able to make one of four free throw attempts as Golden State tried to get closer. Minnesota ended their own three-minute stretch without points as Janelle Salaun was able to respond with another putback. The Lynx continued to struggle on offense, not winning a challenge on a shot clock violation, with neither team scoring for two minutes. Veronica Burton was able to go to the free throw line after being fouled fighting for an offensive rebound, but the Valkyries needed to foul after that to extend the game. Minnesota made all four of their free throws while Cecilia Zandalasini was able to make the first three-pointer designed out of a timeout, but not the second, leaving them losing 81-75.
Player of the Game
This award will go to Cecilia Zandalasini for this game as she faced her former team again. After a rough game that limited her minutes on Wednesday, she came out firing and was key to building the first quarter lead. She ended up being the leading scorer and was once again relied on to take the big shots during the final comeback attempt. With the team still needing to figure out how to generate offense late in games while behind, having her back at her best will be critical in those situations.
The Verdict
This game was really a great opportunity for the Valkyries to pick up that elusive first win against Minnesota. The crowd was electric from the start and the first half lead just made them louder. They even survived Minnesota’s offensive explosion early in the second quarter, but the final minute shifted the momentum of the game. While there were times in the second half where it looked like the Valkyries would be able to make the key plays to get the win, they ended up falling too far behind to recover late and ended up with another tough loss against a good team. There will be no time to dwell on the loss as they have a quick turnaround going to Las Vegas.
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