Shooting decided it
Minnesota shot 35.6 percent from the field. Golden State shot 43.7. In a game where neither side reached 35 points in a half until the fourth quarter arrived, that gap was the whole story.
The Valkyries beat the Lynx 80-66 overnight in Minneapolis, ending Minnesota’s six-game winning streak and their own two-game skid in the same evening. Cecilia Zandalasini scored 18 points against the team she used to play for.
Golden State moved to 26-11. Minnesota sits at 31-8 and still holds the best record in the league, but the No. 1 playoff seed it could have clinched will have to wait. The cushion over second-place Golden State is now four games.
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The Lynx could not find a shot
Kayla McBride missed nine of her 11 attempts from the field and finished with 12 points, half of them from the free-throw line. Olivia Miles missed nine of 12 and ended with eight points and five assists. Natasha Howard led Minnesota with 13 points and seven rebounds while missing five of eight. Napheesa Collier managed nine points and seven boards.
Veronica Burton ran the game for Golden State with 14 points, nine assists and five steals. Gabby Williams added 15. Tiffany Hayes scored 14 off the bench and Janelle Salaun 12, which meant the Valkyries pulled 26 points out of their reserves in a game that only reached 80.
The second half swung it
It was 34-32 Golden State at the break after two quarters that each finished 17-16 in the visitors’ favor. Neither offense had found anything. The Valkyries closed the first on a 5-0 run built on a Burton 3-pointer and a Salaun layup with 0.2 seconds left, then went on a 9-0 run midway through the second to lead 31-25.
After the interval Golden State outscored Minnesota 46-34. Tied at 36, the Valkyries ran off six straight points, four of them from Zandalasini on two free throws and a jump shot. They led 55-48 through three and stretched it into double figures in the fourth, Burton’s 3-pointer making it 61-51 with 7:33 left.
Minnesota has been the best team in the WNBA all season by record. On Monday night it did not look like it.
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