Game Story
On a night where Minnesota Lynx legends Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles earned the highest basketball honor, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement, there was still basketball to be played. But before we jump into Saturday evening’s game, let’s take a moment to remember the amazing careers of Moore and Fowles.
The Golden State Valkyries hosted the Lynx in front of a raucous Chase Center crowd on Fan Appreciation Night. “Ballhalla,” as it’s come to be known, has treated their team well all season. Their 14-7 home record has been an important factor for them. The Valkyries, for those who have not been following, have not played like a typical expansion team. In fact, they just recently clinched a playoff berth which makes them the first WNBA expansion team ever to accomplish this.
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It took mere minutes for Minnesota to find out just how hot the Valkyries were.
They marched out to a quick lead by pounding the offensive glass, punishing a consistent woe for the Lynx. A pair of Napheesa Collier three pointers help mitigate the damage early on, but the first half was mostly a tale of missed bunnies for Minnesota. Kayla McBride was frigid, missing all six of her field goal attempts in the first 20 minutes of the game. As a team, they shot a ghastly 31.4% from the floor in that half.
Meanwhile, Golden State feasted in the interior thanks to the absence of Alanna Smith (Rest). The Lynx overall defensive effort was not great in the first half, as one would expect when a team is missing Smith and Dijonai Carrington (Shoulder injury). Kaila Charles used her size and awareness to repeatedly back cut the Lynx to death, as rotations were often late, or not there at all.
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The wheels were getting awfully wobbly for the Minnesota late in the third period. They were looking down the barrel of a seven-point hole as the crowd was popping off with every Valkyrie score. However, the Lynx showed the grit and determination that we’ve come to expect from them. With under three minutes left in the third, they ripped off a wild 16-0 run punctuated by a pair of Natisha Hiedeman treys.
They led by nine heading into the final period and never trailed again.
Credit Golden State, who did inch very close a few times. Once early in the fourth quarter, though Minnesota responded with a 8-2 run that was once again capped off by none other than Sixth Player of the Year candidate, Hiedeman. The second time near the end of the quarter, this time answered by a trio of defensive stops by the Lynx.
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The final gasp from the Valkyries came with under a minute left. Veronica Burton completed a three-point play to with claw within two and 45.8 seconds left on the clock. Minnesota’s ensuing possession resulted in a clean mid-range look for Collier, who just barely rattled it in off a friendly front rim bounce. McBride, who struggles on the offensive end didn’t deter her, jumped in the passing lanes to steal the ball before effectively sealing the game with two clutch free throws.
The victory doesn’t change anything for the Lynx place atop the standings, but it was a good litmus test against one of the hottest teams in the W riding a five-game win streak. Head Coach Cheryl Reeve, despite resting Smith, wasn’t pulling any punches either. She essentially ran a six-person line-up to get across the finish line (Maria Kliundikova only played six minutes in the first half).
It was not only good, but important, for Minnesota to get back in the win column.
Meanwhile, for Golden State, it definitely sounded like a playoff environment despite the loss. Not only were fans excited for the matchup against the best team in the league, but this could actually be Golden State’s final game at Chase Center for the entire year. It was sadly reported that the Valkyries will play their only home playoff game (Pending final standings) in San Jose at the SAP Center, home of the San Jose Sharks. This is due to a scheduling conflict, where Chase Center will be hosting an international tennis tournament during the postseason.
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Another gross oversight of women’s sports, and a huge loss for the great Valkyrie fan base.
Quick Hits
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This game was all about Natisha Hiedeman, who tied her career-high with 24 points. She finished with a game-high 24 points to go along with a rebound, two assists, three steals, and one block. Hiedeman has been on an absolute tear recently, scoring over 20 points for the third straight game off the bench. She absolutely has to be in the conversation for Sixth Player of the Year.
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Napheesa Collier was dialed in from deep. She went 4 of 8 from perimeter as she inches closer and closer to a 50/40/90 season. Collier’s vintage mid-range jumper wasn’t falling consistently tonight, but she still finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
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Shoutout to Jessica Shepard, who clocked a game-high 38 minutes in another spot start, posting a double-double of 12 points, 13 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block on her classic hyper efficient 6 of 9 shooting from the field. It’s a privilege to have a player of Shepard’s caliber this season.
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It was a rough night for Minnesota’s two designated floor spacers. Kayla McBride and Bridget Carleton saw their first (and only) field goals occur in the second half. They combined to go a forgettable 2 of 16 from the field, though they did have meaningful contributions late. The Lynx should still count themselves lucky to have survived a woeful performance from the pair of them.
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Both teams shot under 40% on the night, but the energy was high all game. Minnesota only scored 14 points in the paint compared to Golden State’s 34, but Hiedeman and Collier’s barrage from deep helped carry them to a victory.
Highlights
Box Score
Up Next
There’s just two games left in the season for the Lynx. They travel for their last road game against the Indiana Fever on Tuesday, September 9th at 6:30 PM CT. Caitlin Clark has already been ruled out for the year as the Fever’s season has quickly fallen apart. That said, this game will still be interesting to follow as Indiana is one of two teams (Seattle Storm) Minnesota will likely face in the first round of the postseason.
