The No. 8-seed Golden State Valkyries were in complete control during Game 2 of their first-round series on Wednesday night, leading against the No. 1-seed Minnesota Lynx 63-51 entering the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately for Golden State, basketball is a 40-minute game, and in those final 10 minutes, they fell apart.
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Minnesota played like champions, clamping down on defense and making shot after shot on offense. The Lynx got back-to-back baskets from Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams during clutch time to take the lead and snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. The Valkyries had one more chance at winning this game, but a Cecilia Zandalasini jumper bricked, and that was the end of Golden State’s season.
This 75-74 loss for Golden State will sting, but they had a historic expansion season. They won a record number of games, made the playoffs and pushed the top team in the league. There is no shame in losing this way.
For the Lynx, this was an example of their championship valor. They trailed in Game 1 and came back to win, and after falling behind by as many as 17 points in Game 2, they still found a way to come out on top. Minnesota has to be better, but even when they play poorly, they are tough to beat.
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Collier gave an MVP performance in this game. She had 24 points, along with seven rebounds. Kayla McBride scored 18 points and DiJonai Carrington was huge off the bench, scoring 11.
In defeat, the Valkyries had Monique Billings leading the team in scoring with 15 points, while rookie Janelle Salaün had 14 points.
The Lynx now await the start of the semifinals, which will begin on Sunday against the winner of the No. 4-vs.-No. 5 series between the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty
How the Mercury won
The reason the opponent for Minnesota is unknown is because Phoenix beat New York 86-60 in Game 2.
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The Mercury won with a balanced attack. They had five players in double figures as Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas led the way, scoring 15 each.
The Liberty were horrendous on offense in this contest. They shot 30 percent from the field, and only Emma Meesseman scored in double digits with 11 points off the bench. This contest was never close after the opening quarter. In the second period, the Mercury outscored the Liberty 26-12, and after that, it was all Phoenix.
Besides losing the game, the bigger issue for Liberty is that they are dealing with Breanna Stewart’s injury. While she played 20 minutes, she didn’t look like herself. If her MCL sprain limits her ability to be effective in Game 3, it could prove to be a major factor in the defending champions going out in the opening round.
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Game 3 between the Mercury and Liberty will be an epic event. Both teams have displayed stretches of dominance over the other, and now we’ll see what happens in a winner-take-all scenario.
