The WNBA’s eight-team playoff field is set. The matchups, however, remain unsettled, making the regular-season finale between the Golden State Valkyries (23-20) and Minnesota Lynx (33-10) especially intriguing.
The Lynx are locked into the No. 1 seed, while the Valkyries could finish either at No. 6 or No. 8 depending on Thursday’s result.
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How to watch Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx
Venue: Target Center — Minneapolis
Time: 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
TV: NBA TV and WNBA League Pass (national) | FanDuel Sports Network North, KPIX 5 and KMAX 31 (local)
Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now!)
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
Golden State will likely face a watered-down version of this Minnesota roster. With the goal of winning a championship so squarely in focus, the Lynx held MVP candidate Napheesa Collier out of their most recent game due to rest. DiJonai Carrington has already been listed as unavailable for Thursday night.
On the other hand, we can anticipate a full-fledged effort from the WNBA’s expansion team. The Valkyries have clinched a playoff berth in their first year of existence (a first in the WNBA), and they can further improve their standing with a victory. A win would mean the No. 6 seed and would set them up for a first-round meeting with the No. 3 seed, which will be either the Atlanta Dream or red-hot Las Vegas Aces. That scenario would also give the Indiana Fever the No. 7 seed and slot the Seattle Storm into the No. 8 spot.
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If the Valkyries lose, they’d get the No. 8 seed and would have to immediately face Minnesota again, while the Fever (No. 6) and Storm (No. 7) would be seeded above them.
Win or lose, it’s been a special season for Golden State. Led by fourth-year guard Veronica Burton and coached by standout Natalie Nakase, the Valkyries have established themselves as a gritty, defensive-minded squad that competes to the final buzzer. And while they’ve gone 0-3 against the Lynx this season, no loss has come by more than 11 points.
If the Lynx don’t see the Valkyries in the first round, they’ll take on the Storm instead. That’s a far less favorable matchup for last year’s runners-up — Minnesota and Seattle split the season series 2-2, with both teams picking up a win on the road.
In any case, the Lynx remain heavy favorites to win a fifth championship next month. Minnesota has the shortest odds at +105 on BetMGM, with the New York Liberty (+350) and Las Vegas (+350) tied for second.
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Updated WNBA odds
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