The No. 8-seed Golden State Valkyries went 0-4 against the No. 1-seed Minnesota Lynx this season.<\/p>\n
The expansion franchise lost the first two games to the franchise that has won four WNBA championships by 11 points each, before losing by six in the third game. In the final game of the season, played this past Thursday, the Lynx demolished the Valkyries by 19 points.<\/p>\n
Were there any bright spots during the games signaling that the Valkyries have a chance of winning Game 1 (1:00 p.m. ET, ESPN), let alone the series?<\/p>\n
Back in June and July, the Valkyries were a different team, relying on Kayla Thornton and Stephanie Talbot to play big minutes. With the former injured and the latter preparing to fight for the title with the New York Liberty, the first two games are off the table. The other two, played this month, indeed may provide a good perspective on what to expect from the series.<\/p>\n
And to be honest, things don\u2019t look good for the expansion team from the Bay.<\/p>\n
The Lynx have just too many weapons to contain, even for a defensive-minded team like the Valkyries. In the last two games against the Valks, Kayla McBride was 4-for-23 and Bridget Carleton went just 2-for-11 from the floor in total, but the Lynx still overwhelmed them on offense. Napheesa Collier is coming for her first MVP, and looking at her resume, it seems that there\u2019s not much that the Valkyries will be able to do to slow her down. She needs to be closely guarded on the perimeter and around the basket, which usually requires a lot of switching, but Golden State will be hoping that their signature zone defense works.<\/p>\n