Valkyries can’t hang with Napheesa Collier’s Minnesota Lynx as Golden State’s offense struggles in second half

The Golden State Valkyries’ 86-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday had a familiar feel. 

The Valkyries stayed competitive for as long as they could, but didn’t have the star power to make it a game late against the unbeaten Lynx.  Minnesota (6-0) overwhelmed the Valkyries with its depth and elite shot making as Golden State dropped its third straight game in front of a sellout crowd of 18,064 at Chase Center. 

Despite the loss, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said she was proud of the way her team competed.

“When we control our controllables, we we can compete with anyone,” Nakase said. “We control our destiny, and they know that that’s how we train and that’s how we game plan. I’m taking our 12 any day.”

Lynx star Napheesa Collier returned from  a right knee injury that kept her out for a game and scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. 

Golden State’s Kate Martin, who hadn’t played much this season, came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points and Veronica Burton totaled 21. 

Minnesota jumped out to an early eight-point lead in the second quarter, but the advantage was short lived thanks to Martin. 

Martin scored 14 consecutive points for the Valkyries on an array of cutting layups, deep 3s and free throws. On one possession during her scoring streak, Martin made an and-1, a 3 from the right wing and hit three more free throws after the officiating crew deemed a flagrant foul was committed on the play. 

In the second quarter alone, Martin eclipsed her single-game career-high in points, which stood at 13 coming into Sunday night. 

Martin’s hot shooting along with a solid team defensive performance helped the Valkyries build a 52-51 lead at halftime. Golden State moved the ball well in the first two periods as they totaled 11 assists and held the Lynx to none. 

But after a solid offensive showing in the first half, the Valkyries went cold in the third quarter. 

Golden State went 3 for 15 in the period and were outscored 17-8. The Lynx used an 8-0 run in the middle of the quarter to take a nine-point lead at the 2:33 mark. 

“When the shots are not falling, you have to lock up defensively,” Nakase said. “That was the problem with our shifts and stuff, but at the same time, you have to lock up and you have to rebound. You have to eliminate their extra possessions and we struggled.

Minnesota kept its foot on the pedal after taking an eight-point lead going into the final period of play. The Lynx outscored the Valkyries 15-1 through the first five minutes of the quarter to build an insurmountable lead. 

Golden State cut the deficit to 11, but it was too late as Minnesota outpaced the Valkyries in the final minutes. 

Minnesota led by as much as 22 in the period as Golden State’s defense crumbled against Collier and Minnesota’s shooters.

Sunday’s contest marked the first of six Commissioner’s Cup games the Valkyries will play throughout the rest of the month. The Commissioner’s Cup is an in-season competition in which the top teams in each conference with the best cup records play each other in a championship game with a $500,000 prize on the line. 

Cecilia Zandalasini, Kayla Thornton and Stephanie Talbot each have a Commissioner’s Cup championship on their resume. Nakase won a cup title with Las Vegas in 2022. 

Golden State will hit the road again when they play the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday before coming back home to play the Las Vegas Aces in a nationally televised game on Saturday.

“We just have to stay together,” Burton said about the Valkyries’ upcoming schedule. “The (WNBA) is hard. There’s a reason we’re all here and I think each player has experienced a certain level of pain or hardship that’s allowed us to bounce back. And so we just have to use that as motivation as well.”

Injury update

Starting guard Tiffany Hayes left the game in the fourth quarter and did not return after getting hit in the nose while fighting for a loose ball.

Hayes missed the Valkyries’ last three games after she sustained a nose injury against the Washington Mystics 11 days ago. She missed all of Golden State’s road games last week, though she was available for Thursday’s game against the Liberty but did not play.

“She’s good, we just have to evaluate,” Nakase said. “The hit in the face, which they call the jump ball, we just have to make sure she’s protected. And, like I said, health is first.”