Nine games. Nine losses. For two seasons the Minnesota Lynx were the Golden State Valkyries’ unsolvable puzzle, until Monday night in Minneapolis, when the second-year side finally flipped the script with an 80-66 win that shook up the WNBA’s top-seed race.
How the skid ended
Golden State (26-11) set the tone defensively from the opening quarter, leading 17-16 after one period and 34-32 at halftime before a prolific fourth-quarter run blew the game open. Minnesota emptied its bench with about four minutes left as the lead stretched to 14.
The Lynx (31-8) came in on a six-game win streak and had beaten the Valkyries 77-66 in San Francisco just last Wednesday, a game that kept Golden State winless in the all-time series. Monday’s rematch flipped every subplot: the chasers just lapped the standard.
The streak, by the numbers
| Streak fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| All-time series before Monday | Minnesota 9-0 |
| Valkyries record after the win | 26-11, second-best in the WNBA |
| Lynx record | 31-8, still No. 1 overall |
| What Minnesota missed | A chance to clinch the No. 1 playoff seed |
| Notable absence | Courtney Williams, right foot injury |
What it means for the playoff race
Minnesota’s magic number for the top seed stays at one, and the Lynx must wait at least one more game to celebrate. Golden State, which clinched its own playoff berth with a win over Dallas last week, just sent a message that any presumed Finals preview will not be a procession. The result lands in a WNBA week already full of storylines, from the league’s trans-inclusion debate to a tightening bracket.
Why Pinoy fans have a dog in this fight
The Bay Area’s Filipino community has embraced the Valkyries since day one: the team staged its Filipino Heritage Night at Chase Center this month, and local coverage highlighted the community celebrations surrounding the game. Pinoy basketball fandom is having a wider moment too, with NBA and WNBA legends like Jason Kidd and Lauren Jackson recently meeting Filipino fans in Manila. No Filipino player sits on either roster, but the loudest section of Chase Center would argue the connection runs deeper than a depth chart.
The season series is over, but the bracket may deliver a third chapter: a playoff meeting between these two, with a Finals bye on the line, is now the matchup the WNBA wants. Minnesota still holds the wheel. Golden State just proved it can be taken.
