Round one of the WNBA Playoffs has been must-see television, and nothing has gone as predicted. Every series but one has been extended to a third, series-deciding game, and even the sole two-game series was full of excitement.
This season, the WNBA is doing the playoffs a little differently. Round one is still a best-of-three series, but instead of doing a usual home-home-away format for the higher-seeded team, they are testing out a home-away-home format. That means every team in the playoffs was
given at least one game, regardless of whether they won a game in the opening series or not. This was implemented after the Indiana Fever were disappointed that they did not get to play a home game in the 2024 season — Caitlin Clark’s first. Since they lost to the Connecticut Sun in two out of a possible three games, they never got to host a game in Indiana.
This new rule was something the first-year expansion team Golden State Valkyries were banking on. After achieving the seemingly impossible by just making the playoffs, the Valkyries were matched up with the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx. Knowing they were the underdogs, the Valkyries knew their home court advantage had the potential to push the series to three games, and maybe, just maybe, they could win.
The first hurdle came when it was announced that the team would have to play their first playoff game in San Jose as opposed to San Francisco. The Valkyries’ usual home of Chase Center was double-booked, another sign that no one expected them to make the playoffs. Still, the franchise did everything from shuttling fans out to San Jose, decking out a train in Valkyrie Violet, and trying to make San Jose feel like home.
They came extremely close to following suit with the rest of the league and pushing the series to three games. It was an incredible, hard-fought game by the Valkyries. They employed their strategy of keeping the Lynx offence hushed down and played strong defence, while making their signature three-point shots. They had a significant lead on the Lynx in the third quarter and were sailing to victory.
Until Bridget Carleton had something to say about it.
The Canadian led her team’s comeback efforts, starting in the third quarter when the Valkyries led 45-28. She made two back-to-back three-point shots to bring them to 47-34. A few minutes later, Carleton made another shot from distance, decreasing the deficit to 10 points, 50-40 for the Valkyries. She spent the rest of the third quarter making key defensive plays and cleaning up the glass for the Lynx.
When Carleton then re-entered the game in the fourth quarter, she immediately made another key three-pointer, bringing the game within 5 points, 68-63 for the Valkyries. From there, Minnesota trusted its leader in Napheesa Collier to help them gain the advantage over Golden State, and the Lynx won 75-74 in San Jose.
This comeback doesn’t happen without Bridget Carleton, though. Her ability to avert defences from Napheesa Collier and stick those all-important shots from distance is what brought the Lynx back into the game. Her defence also helps them be able to retain possessions and also stop opponents from getting second chance opportunities. In a one-point victory, that’s so key.
She finished the game with 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and was a team-high +10 on the court for Minnesota.
With this win, the Lynx clinch their first-round series and will head to round two, where they await the winner of the New York Liberty/Phoenix Mercury series. They will also get the most rest out of anyone in the playoffs, as all other series are going to game threes, being played Thursday and Friday night. Round two will likely start on Sunday.
