NFL
By: Ashmere Prasad
Golden State had its second-worst shooting night in its 77-66 loss on Wednesday night against the Lynx. Minnesota led by as many as 22 points and continued to dominate Golden State defensively.
The Valkyries did not look like themselves from the start. The starters attempted tough passes and missed their usual shots. Typically, when Golden State starts slow, they can adjust in the second quarter, regain their defensive momentum, and eventually build a lead going into halftime. Starting sluggish won’t fly against the best team in the league.
The Lynx are a five-headed snake; the moment Golden State cut the lead and saw a glimmer of hope, Kayla McBride would hit a clutch triple. Olivia Miles would break an ankle and hit a step-back three. Napheesa Collier would push through multiple defenders and score in the paint. If Courtney Williams is open in the mid-range, the arc, anywhere, she’s scoring. There came a point in the first half where Golden State didn’t have an answer.
In the second half, the Valkyries picked up their tempo and cut the lead to as low as seven points during the closing minutes, but it wasn’t enough. McBride hit a dagger three in the final two minutes, extending their lead to 11. She followed it up with the Steph Curry night-night celebration, which silenced the fans.
“We did not play defense in the first half,” a frustrated Natalie Nakase said postgame. “There was no ball pressure. We were late in the pick and roll. We decided not to box out. We decided not to try to create any deflections and steals. It’s really unfortunate, because then they felt at ease…I thought Ballhalla actually had more energy than us, so we just have to figure out what it takes to match that energy.
Golden State’s motto has always been to lean on their defense to create scoring opportunities. Someone hits a big shot, the fans and the bench get fired up, and that energy fuels the Valkyries’ momentum. That aura was missing in this game from the start. Nakase, Hayes, and Burton all shared the same response to the team’s lackluster performance: the team can’t continue to start slow and expect different results.
Figuring Out the Flaws
In true Nakase fashion, she took accountability for the team’s lack of fight on the floor. She recognized the team started flat, but she wants to get a better understanding as to why and how that unfolded for the players.
“I need to figure out how to push the players that didn’t show up…I’ve got to do a better job of what I can pull from them. I’m super frustrated from our start. I really hope over the next 48 hours before Chicago they really open up and tell me what they want.”
It got to a point where Nakase looked at her lineup and saw five players who were putting maximum effort on the floor: Janelle Salaun, Burton, Hayes. Ceci Zandalasini, and Gabby Williams.
Golden State will travel to Chicago to kick off their five-game road series until the end of August. Monday night, the top two teams will face off again in Minnesota, and the Valkyries get the opportunity to clean up their mistakes from this loss.
