Cecilia Zandalasini scored a career-high 23 points but the Valkyries had their four-game winning streak snapped by the Minnesota Lynx 81-75 at Chase Center on Friday. The Valkyries have had a couple down-to-the-wire matchups against the Lynx but have yet to beat Minnesota in their franchise history. The Lynx are the only WNBA team the Valkyries have played that they haven't ever beaten.

In addition to Zandalasini’s career night, Gabby Williams tallied 15 points and eight rebounds and Janelle Salaün chipped in with 15 points and six boards. Nia Coffery (22 points) and Courtney Williams (21 points) combined for 43 points to pace the Lynx, while Kayla McBride added 17 points. 

“I was proud of the way they competed," Head Coach Natalie Nakase said postgame. "I thought they competed really well, that we got good minutes from LA [Laeticia Amihere]. She brought a spark off the bench, and then I thought Ceci [Cecilia Zandalasini], considering how she's been playing, I thought she took full advantage of her minutes tonight. She held it down, she really led us in the scoring and I think we're just continuing to improve each game.”

ZANDALASINI OPENS THE FLOODGATES FROM DEEP
Cecilia Zandalasini made a season-high four 3-pointers against the Minnesota Lynx on June 4. Since then, she had been unable to find her perimeter touch, going five straight games without a made 3-pointer. However, it took less than two minutes for Zandalasini to end that skid, again facing her former team. Zandalasini scored the Valkyries’ first five points, including a rainbow step-back 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down. A few minutes later, she added a three-point play the old-fashioned way, finishing a layup through contact and knocking down the free throw. Zandalasini sank two more 3-pointers in the second quarter, going on a personal 6-0 run, first banking in a triple off a pick-and-pop and then draining another buzzer-beating step-back. Zandalasini tied a career-high with 14 first-half points and added nine more points in the second half en-route to a career night.

VALKYRIES COOL OFF MILES AMIDST HISTORIC ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
The Valkyries entered Friday’s game ranking second in defensive rating and having proven their ability to contain dynamic guards over their active home stand, including Kelsey Plum and Paige Bueckers. On Friday night, their challenge was Olivia Miles, who is scoring at a historic rate in her rookie campaign. Miles set a WNBA rookie record with a 24-point first half in her previous game, but the Valkyries stifled her offensive production, allowing a career-low two points in the first half on 0-for-4 shooting with three turnovers. Miles missed her first eight field goal attempts and didn’t make a field goal until an and-1 basket at the 6:56 mark in the fourth quarter. Miles finished with seven points on 1-for-10 shooting and committed seven turnovers for the least productive offensive outing of her career.

MOMENTUM SHIFTS IN MINNESOTA’S FAVOR
The Valkyries had a double-digit lead nearing the end of the first half, but they committed costly fouls on a pair of 3-point attempts, which helped the Lynx cut the deficit in half at the half. Minnesota opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run, taking a 50-49 lead and forcing an early Valkyries timeout. With Olivia Miles having an off night, Minnesota leaned on shot creation from Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride and Nia Coffey. From that point on, momentum shifted into the Lynx’s favor and while the Valkyries remained in striking distance, they were unable to regain the advantage. 

“I think every loss is a great learning experience," Nakase said. "One of the coolest things about me coaching this team is they don't point the finger and right now they're already taking accountability of what they're going to do tomorrow. How they're going to get recovery and what their game plan is in terms of how early they're going to come in tomorrow to be prepared for when we go over Vegas. I'm lucky I have 14 players that love basketball, that love to be coached hard, that love to be challenged and they take responsibility. But it's my job to make things a little bit cleaner and to clean up the mistakes.”

UP NEXT
After going 2-1 on their three-game home stand, the Valkyries head to Las Vegas to battle A’ja Wilson and the Aces on Sunday (1 p.m. PT). 

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