The Minnesota Lynx left San Francisco with a hard-earned road victory Friday night, defeating the Golden State Valkyries 81-75 at Chase Center to improve their standing in the WNBA standings. It was a game decided at the free-throw line and on the glass, with Minnesota’s depth and efficiency in the clutch proving to be the difference.
Nia Coffey led all scorers with 22 points for the Lynx, providing the offensive punch Minnesota needed to hold off a resilient Golden State squad. But the most complete performance of the night belonged to Courtney Williams, who recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds and 5 assists, anchoring both ends of the floor for the visitors. Williams’ ability to control the boards and push the pace in transition gave Minnesota a consistent advantage throughout the contest.
For the Valkyries, Cecilia Zandalasini was the bright spot, pouring in a game-high 23 points to keep Golden State within striking distance. Her scoring kept the home crowd engaged and made this a competitive game deep into the fourth quarter. Veronica Burton contributed 5 assists to help facilitate the Valkyries’ offense, while Gabby Williams hauled in a team-best 8 rebounds in a losing effort.
Minnesota’s victory was built on a foundation of free-throw dominance and second-chance opportunities. The Lynx converted 21 of 23 attempts from the charity stripe, an outstanding 91 percent clip that generated crucial points in the final minutes when Golden State was forced to foul. That efficiency from the line proved nearly impossible for the Valkyries to overcome. Minnesota also connected on 6 of 13 three-point attempts, shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc, which helped space the floor and kept Golden State’s defense scrambling.
On the boards, Minnesota was relentless. The Lynx finished with 41 total rebounds, including 11 on the offensive glass. Those second-chance opportunities translated directly into points and kept possessions alive at critical junctures. Golden State simply could not keep Minnesota off the boards consistently enough to limit those extra looks.
Defensively, the Lynx were equally impressive. Minnesota recorded 8 steals and an eye-catching 9 blocked shots, disrupting Golden State’s offensive rhythm and forcing the Valkyries into difficult shot selection throughout the game. The Lynx did commit 14 total turnovers, which gave Golden State life at various points and helped keep the margin from widening further. Zandalasini and the Valkyries made the most of those miscues, which is why the final score remained competitive rather than becoming a runaway.
Minnesota shot 27-of-68 from the field overall, a 40 percent mark that was modest but ultimately sufficient given the team’s dominance at the free-throw line and on the offensive boards. The Lynx also distributed the ball effectively, finishing with 18 assists as a team, a sign of the ball movement and unselfishness that characterized their offensive approach on the road.
The Valkyries, playing at home in front of their Chase Center faithful, showed enough fight to make this a genuine contest, but Minnesota’s ability to manufacture points in multiple ways — from the line, off offensive rebounds, and from three — gave the Lynx just enough of a cushion to secure the six-point victory. The loss is a tough one for Golden State, which got a standout individual effort from Zandalasini but could not generate the collective consistency needed to knock off a disciplined Minnesota squad.
The Lynx move on with momentum, while the Valkyries will look to regroup and address their rebounding and foul-management issues heading into their next contest.
