Collier drops 24 as Lynx storm back from 17 down to edge Valkyries 75-74, advance in playoffs.
Napheesa Collier buried an 18-footer with 1:24 left and finished with 24 points, powering the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx to a dramatic 75-74 comeback win over the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night to clinch their first-round playoff series.
Minnesota trailed by 17 late in the third quarter but clawed all the way back behind Collier’s 14-point second half and Kayla McBride’s clutch shot-making. McBride gave the Lynx the lead with a scoop layup at the 2:48 mark and scored 18 overall. Collier followed with her jumper, and the defense held firm in the final seconds as Cecilia Zandalasini’s potential game-winner rimmed out with four seconds to go.
Golden State, an expansion team in its first WNBA season, nearly pulled off a stunner. Monique Billings provided 15 points off the bench, and Veronica Burton filled the box score with 13 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and four steals. The Valkyries had built a 63-49 cushion heading into the fourth after Billings turned a buzzer-beating putback into a three-point play.
But Minnesota kept chipping away. DiJonai Carrington’s banked-in three and McBride’s midrange jumper sparked the rally, and the Lynx finally seized control down the stretch to secure another shot at the championship they narrowly missed a year ago.
The sellout crowd of 18,543 at San Jose’s SAP Center — a temporary home while Chase Center hosted the Laver Cup — roared for the Valkyries all night. Even Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski sat courtside alongside owner Joe Lacob and team president Brandon Schneider.
Despite the heartbreak, the night capped a historic run: Golden State became the first expansion franchise in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in its debut season. Before tipoff, coach Natalie Nakase was honored as Coach of the Year, and Burton received the league’s Most Improved Player award.
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