When the Golden State Valkyries host WNBA All-Star 2027, the organization certainly would be satisfied if a championship banner was hanging over the Chase Center court.
To make it conceivable that such a Bay Area dream could become a reality, they must win on Wednesday night, when they welcome the arguable title favorites, the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, into Ballhalla (10 p.m. ET, USA Network).
For a team that has
obliterated all expectations since arriving in the league last season, including already clinching a 2026 playoff berth with their Monday night victory over the Dallas Wings, beating Minnesota has proven to be an impossible task. Literally.
The Valkyries are 0-8 against the Lynx, losing to Minnesota six times last season—four times in the regular season before falling in a 2-0 sweep in the first round of the playoffs—and twice this season.
Golden State can at least take some solace in the fact that they’ve been competitive in almost every contest. While they were pounded by the Lynx in Game 1 of the playoffs, the first-ever playoff game in franchise history, they otherwise suffered a loss no worse than 11 points last season. This season, they’ve lost by three and six points, respectively.
Coming close, however, is not going to result in a banner being raised in Chase Center.
And as a Eric Nemchock recently highlighted, the Valkyries’ trouble with the Lynx is an indicator of Golden State’s inability to reach the higher level required to beat the W’s very best teams, as five of their nine losses have come against the Lynx and Las Vegas Aces.
It’s a blemish on the regular-season resume that doesn’t bode well for the postseason upside, albeit one that can be diminished if they can manage to defeat the Lynx.
The team is unlikely to indicate any anxiousness about specifically rectifying their record against Minnesota, as head coach Natalie Nakase had no time to feign enthusiasm about the the team clinching a playoff berth. Instead, expect the Valkyries to insist that this is just another regular-season game that stands as an opportunity to improve, even if Golden State already has hinted at an eagerness to claim that elusive win over Minnesota.
As is the wont of Nakase, she implemented intentional defensive strategies in both games against the Lynx.
The first time around, the Valkyries essentially dared Olivia Miles to beat them, particularly permitting her to fire away from beyond the arc. To that point, the precocious rookie was struggling with her 3-ball. But invited to shoot from deep by Golden State’s defensive scheme, Liv took full advantage and busted out of her early-season slump with a rookie-record eight triples. Her then season-high 28 points, plus seven assists to just one turnover, led the Lynx to the win.
In the rematch, Golden State, fully aware that Miles was not some early-season rookie wonder, gave her their full attention, holding her to a season-low seven points on 1-for-10 shooting from the field, including 0-for-4 from 3. The Valkyries’ D also caused her to cough up six turnovers to four assists.
Yet, the rest of the Lynx stepped up as the rook struggled, with Nia Coffey scoring a season-best 22 points as Courtney Williams registered the 21-point and 12-rebound double-double to notch another Minnesota win.
Now, Golden State must contend with Napheesa Collier, in addition to all Minnesota’s other weapons.
And Phee loves playing the Valkyries. In six career games against Golden State, both in the regular season and postseason, Collier has averaged 21.5 points, her highest scoring average against any opponent. She’s hit 48 percent of her 3s against Golden State, and almost 58 percent all her field goal attempts.
So, Nakase and the Valkyrie defense may have devised a solve for Miles, but they’ve yet to figure out Phee.
As Nakase said when asked about Golden State earning a postseason berth, “So that’s great, but we still have so much work to do.”
Until the playoffs begin, Wednesday night presents their toughest task, an opportunity to demonstrate that they stack up squarely with the league’s very best by securing a statement win over the one team against which their overachieving selves have yet to overachieve.
Can the Valkyries get the job done, checking off an important box in their championship quest? Or, will the Lynx remind everyone that they’re the league’s best team for a reason, with Collier and company claiming yet another win in the Bay? And might this matchup, and not Lynx-Aces, in fact, be a WNBA Finals preview?
Share all your prognostications in the comments.
