{"id":215671,"date":"2025-09-10T14:12:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/215671\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T14:12:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:12:14","slug":"how-a-crushing-last-minute-loss-shapes-the-valkyries-playoff-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/215671\/","title":{"rendered":"How a crushing last-minute loss shapes the Valkyries’ playoff outlook"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want the latest Bay Area sports news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here<\/a> to receive regular email newsletters, including \u201cThe Dime.\u201d<\/p>\n

SEATTLE \u2014 Heads down and frustration heavy after a one-point loss, the Valkyries left the court on Tuesday slipping past the Storm\u2019s playoff-clinching celebration. Now, it\u2019s onto Minnesota.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But for how long?<\/p>\n

The Valkyries (23-20) head to the home of WNBA\u2019s best team on Thursday for their final regular-season game, one with significant ramifications for their playoff path. A win over the Lynx, who have defeated Golden State three times this season (mostly recently 78-72 in the Chase Center finale last weekend), would secure the No. 6 seed and set up a first-round matchup with either Las Vegas or Atlanta as the No. 3 seed. A loss, however, would drop the Valkyries to No. 8, lengthening their stint in Minnesota and setting up an opening-round matchup with the top-seeded Lynx.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Golden State coach Natalie Nakase, who approaches every game with a must-win mentality, baked in what\u2019s at stake Thursday night in her team\u2019s approach just one game removed from the postseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhythm and rest, to me, are the biggest keys right now to go into the playoffs. And just our lock-in factor of what it takes to play in a playoff game \u2014 today it did feel like that with the physicality and the crowd,\u201d Nakase said. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s really the rest, so however best I can do that. I have to be very intentional within the next 48 hours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

To point guard Veronica Burton, preparing for the rematch with Minnesota will be all about \u201ccontrolling the controllables,\u201d and keeping the team\u2019s connected play through yet another elite defense in the No. 1 Lynx.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously it\u2019s important for seedings,\u201d Burton said, frustrated after the loss. \u201cWe have to be on the same page about it and get the job done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Led by Kaila Charles\u2019 12 points and nine from Temi F\u00e1gb\u00e9nl\u00e9, Golden State trudged through a fast-paced, physical first half in Seattle to scrap together a 36-33 advantage at the half on Tuesday. After holding the Storm to just 12 points in the opening quarter, the Valkyries\u2019 offense stumbled early in the second, rattled by a string of shot clock violations and late-clock one-on-one desperation attempts as Seattle\u2019s physical defense disrupted their usual go-to drive-and-kick rhythm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The third frame was a highlight for the visitors \u2014 after the Storm reclaimed a lead 50-47, Golden State responded with a Janelle Sala\u00fcn-fueled 13-0 answer for a 10-point lead. But that momentum didn\u2019t quite translate into the fourth, when they were outscored 12-21 and subjected to Erica Wheeler\u2019s hot hand for the Storm. She knocked in three triples in the frame and iced what would be a game-clinching midrange pull-up jumpshot to hand Seattle a one-point lead with under 20 seconds remaining.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Valkyries then used a reset timeout to advance the ball into their halfcourt \u2014 and put Sala\u00fcn, who has several crunch-time daggers to her name this season, in charge. Kate Martin grabbed an offensive board after Sala\u00fcn missed her contested driving layup attempt, and kicked it back out to the French rookie who had mobilized to her corner sweet-spot. Sala\u00fcn didn\u2019t get the bounce, and sent Seattle into a frenzy as it locked down a playoff berth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sala\u00fcn recorded a sneaky career high 22 points in the one-point defeat, and Burton finished with a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists. F\u00e1gb\u00e9nl\u00e9 was reliable through the physicality on both ends all night.<\/p>\n

\"ADominique Malonga was one of five Storm players who scored at least nine points on Tuesday. | Source: Amanda Loman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Nakase placed blame on her own shortcomings \u201cschematically\u201d postgame. Her team had little show of their depth, with only five bench points for the night, courtesy of Monique Billings. Charles and Martin were interchanged through the end-of-game push, but neither provided much of a spark offensively in the second half. And logging under 10 minutes for the second game in a row now, Carla Leite did not make her usual impact off the bench and was ultimately used only sparingly in the first-half rotation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite a fierce defensive effort that helped the Valkyries extend their lead to 10 points in the third quarter, the only silver lining for Burton is that this outcome didn\u2019t happen in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was good, but we lost. So it\u2019s not good enough if we want to go far in the playoffs and be a contending team. It\u2019s just the little things, the little possessions,\u201d the point guard said of the team\u2019s defensive performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One positive of the night for the disappointed Valkyries should be the promise of health on the horizon. Cecila Zandalasini ditched street clothes for a game uniform and was back in action for the first time in three weeks \u2014 albeit only for an anti-climatic five minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The sharpshooter, who had been averaging 11.2 points per game and shooting from 3-point range at 43.5% up until a calf injury saw her vanish from Golden State\u2019s starting lineup, was announced as a \u201cgame-time\u201d decision a couple hours before tipoff. Nakase limited her minutes on the night, but nonetheless, easing a healthy Zandalasini back into Golden State\u2019s rotation could make for a timely boost heading into the playoffs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously with the physical game, it was probably a tough game to get her back in. But, I thought she was ready, I thought she did good. I think we maybe just didn\u2019t give her enough physical five-on-five prior to this. That\u2019s on me, I have to do a better job of preparing her for that situation.\u201d<\/p>\n