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wnba playoff positionJulian Benbow<\/p>\nThe Valkyries finally did to Minnesota what they\u2019ve done to virtually every other team this season, clamping down so tightly on defense that opponents can\u2019t comfortably perform ordinary tasks.<\/p>\n
Golden State held Minnesota to a season-low 66 points.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeeping that team to 66, that\u2019s a very, very talented team,\u201d Golden State coach Natalie Nakase<\/b> told reporters. \u201cThey\u2019re No. 1 for a reason. Really proud to keep them to 66.\u201d<\/p>\n
Minnesota was another notch on the belt for Golden State\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n
Four teams \u2014 the Fever, Lynx, Mystics, and Liberty \u2014 have had their worst scoring nights of the season against the Valkyries.<\/p>\n
More than that, in only four of 37 games has an opponent reached its season scoring average against Golden State: the Aces twice, the Mercury, and the Mystics.<\/p>\n
In a season in which offensive ratings are at an all-time high \u2014 six of the 10 highest team offensive ratings ever \u2014 the Valkyries are holding opponents to 76.3 points per game and own the league\u2019s best defensive rating.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a huge leap for us,\u201d Nakase said. \u201cAgain, trying to prepare to be at our best for the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Musical chairs month<\/p>\n
With a month left in the season, the playoff field is essentially set. But matchups could still be up in the air on the final day of the regular season.<\/p>\n
Just 4\u00bd games separate the second-seeded Valkyries and the eighth-seeded Dallas Wings.<\/p>\n
Golden State\u2019s win at Minnesota was a breakthrough \u2014 its first against the Lynx \u2014 but it still has work to do to sew up the second seed.<\/p>\n
With seven games left, the Valkyries control their destiny. Six wins, and the second seed is theirs. But after losing all three games in their season series against the Aces, they do not control the tiebreaker against the team directly behind them in the standings.<\/p>\n
Matchups will matter because every team has a rival it has struggled against this season.<\/p>\n
The Atlanta Dream are 0-3 against the Valkyries. The Wings are 0-3 against the Dream, 0-3 against the Valkyries, and 0-4 against the Lynx.<\/p>\n
The Valkyries are 0-3 against the Aces. The Fever lost their only matchup so far with the Lynx. The Aces are 1-2 against the Wings, Fever, Lynx, and Liberty.<\/p>\n
The Liberty are 0-2 against the Valkyries and 1-2 against the Wings and Fire. The Mystics are 1-2 against the Valkyries, Aces, Lynx, and Liberty.<\/p>\n
wnba playoff positionJulian Benbow<\/p>\n
Who\u2019s hooping?<\/p>\n
Kelsey Mitchell, Fever:<\/b> Mitchell has made 20-point nights look like the norm for the past two months, when they are anything but. Her run of 23 consecutive 20-point games is the longest in WNBA history by far. The closest anyone has come is A\u2019ja Wilson<\/b>, who had 15 straight in 2024. Before that, Diana Taurasi<\/b> had 12 in 2006.<\/p>\n
Caitlin Clark, Fever:<\/b> The scary part is that the other half of Indiana\u2019s backcourt is just as dangerous. Clark knocked down a career-high eight 3-pointers and scored 37 points Sunday in a win over Chicago. The scoring binge was one thing, but the volume and efficiency were just as impressive: Clark shot 8 of 12 from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
Appointment viewing<\/p>\n
Valkyries (26-11) vs. Liberty (23-15), Thursday, 8 p.m.:<\/b> In the middle of a five-game road trip, Golden State will face Connecticut on Wednesday, then head to Brooklyn to play the Liberty the next day. The Valkyries have had New York\u2019s number twice this season, holding the Liberty to 70 points in May and 67 points in June.<\/p>\n
Lynx (31-8) vs. Dream (25-13), Sunday, 3 p.m.:<\/b> Along with the Liberty, Fever, and Sun, the Dream are one of the few teams left with a chance to win a season series against the Lynx. Minnesota will have to solve Allisha Gray<\/b>, who averaged 22.5 points in their first two meetings.<\/p>\n