Valkyries’ ‘huge leap’ on defense helped finally defeat Lynx

Tenth time’s the charm. The Golden State Valkyries can exhale after finally taking down the Minnesota Lynx for 80-66 Monday night on the road, after entering the Target Center 0-9 against the Lynx all-time over the course of the last two seasons.

But maybe more important than finally accomplishing what’s alluded the otherwise historically successful expansion franchise is the fact they accomplished one of the goals coach Natalie Nakase has stressed over the last month– playing four full quarters of high-intensity, high-energy basketball. And in Minneapolis, in a game they needed, against a team that has haunted them, they finally did so, according to the second-year head coach.

“Yes, tonight definitely was [four full quarters of basketball],” Nakase said, describing how the team took an “emptying the tank” approach to the game.

“It was about us. Just focusing on the attention to detail. We talked about bringing a different game plan. So just credit to our coaches. Landon [Tatum], it was his scout, but more importantly, the girls executed it. So just attention to detail. We did it all four quarters. This is a huge leap for us. Again, [we’re] trying to prepare to be at our best for the playoffs. And then keeping that team to 66 [points]. That’s a very, very talented team. They’re number one for a reason. Really proud to keep them to 66.”

Veronica Burton finished with 14 points, nine assists, and five steals; Gabby Williams added 15 points and five rebounds to shake off a rough patch of shooting over the past couple of games; and Cecilia Zandalasini caught fire for 18 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. Additionally, the bench combination of Tiffany Hayes and Janelle Salaun gave Golden State the juice they needed to spark timely runs, finishing with 14 points and 12 points, respectively.

Valkyries’ defense on Minnesota’s stars

The Lynx’s 66 points were their season low as the Valkyries’ league-best defense swarmed them on all levels. Olivia Miles, Napheesa Collier, and Kayla McBride, who combined for 58 points in their win in Golden State last week, were held to just 29 total points on a combined 7-of-33 from the field. For Collier specifically, Nakase cited the efforts of center Kiah Stokes for taking the lion’s share of guarding the Lynx star in the post.

“Kiah Stokes just did a phenomenal job,” Nakase said. “I know she’s had a lot of reps in terms of guarding her, but Kiah’s length– she moves her feet really well, so she doesn’t give up, usually, any angles. And then, more importantly, defending without fouling. Then she did an amazing job boarding. Credit to Kia, just being a one-man protection down there for us, because [Collier is] an incredible scorer; she can score at all three levels.”

Along with Stokes as the primary defender, the Valkyries made a concerted effort to jam up the Lynx in the midpost with their low-man defense, cutting off the actions Minnesota likes to generate along the baseline. They also junked up Miles’ pick-and-roll game with Burton and Williams, game-wrecking what Minnesota tried to develop. And then they got out on the break.

As Nakase so often likes to say, the defense flows into the offense, and with the Valkyries generating 12 steals on the night, they were able to find easy baskets in transition to unclog a cold start offensively.

Washing away the two-game skid

With all the questions about effort, urgency, and energy in the last couple of games, it’s a win the Valkyries can use to wash away the angst and anxiety of a very dramatic two-game losing streak in which the Lynx humbled them and the Chicago Sky’s Sydney Taylor walked them down with a game-winner in the clutch.

Before the game, Nakase told reporters that the conversations she said she was going to have in the wake of the Sky loss were productive, saying she let the team meet with themselves before engaging them. And when she did engage them, Nakase said she took special care to do more “listening” in order to understand the “why.” And her takeaway was straightforward.

“That everyone sees things, whether it’s the game plan or the offensive game plan, they see a little bit differently,” Nakase said. “And so that’s when I was like, ‘Oh, okay, here’s a lot of the holes of maybe the rough starts,’ and so I just got to make sure I put everyone on the same page. That’s the biggest thing.”

A big part of those important conversations over the weekend was Burton. And in this important win against the Lynx, her leadership was on full display from Nakase’s inside perspective.

“No letdown at all today with V,” Nakase said. “That’s been something our staff has kind of been on her of like, whether you make a mistake, it doesn’t matter; keep going, keep leading whatever the team needs. Do they need a harsh, quick conversation? Do they need support? V was elite tonight. On top of that, she made all the calls. [I] didn’t really look over too much, and we just kind of let V run the show.”

For Burton, while it’s a good win, the Valkyries’ floor general isn’t getting ahead of herself as the team prepares for the rigors of the postseason.

“It feels good. Getting any win on the road, at this point in the season, feels good,” Burton said. “Just trying to gear up for playoff basketball. The way we did it and the way we made adjustments, obviously, just seeing them less than a week ago, so it feels good. But a lot to build off on this one.”

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