Happily Ever After Even in Defeat, As Valkyries Fairytale Season Ends in 75-74 Loss to Lynx

Sometimes, with fairytales, the story doesn’t end in a traditional victory but instead in a celebration of the arduous journey that took place.

Before 18,543 fans who turned San Jose’s SAP Center into a roaring “Ballhalla South” fortress, the Golden State Valkyries came within a single point of toppling the league’s top seed, falling 75-74 to the Minnesota Lynx in a dramatic, heart-pounding finish.

The WNBA’s first-year expansion team’s dream season ended just as it began in the preseason, with a one-point loss but before a thunderous crowd that stayed on its feet long after the final buzzer, beaming with pride for the team that had given them so much joy and so many reasons to cheer.

From the opening tip, the Valkyries played with the poise and confidence of a team that had grown up fast. They blistered the nets in the first half, going 63.6 percent from three and building a 17-point third-quarter lead that had the sold-out crowd on its feet and deafeningly loud.

Veronica Burton and Iliana Rupert started 2-for-2 from deep, setting the tone as Golden State drilled 11 threes on the night. By the time the third quarter ended, the Valkyries were up 63-49 and just 10 minutes away from forcing a winner-take-all Game 3.

But playoff basketball has a way of testing even the most magical of seasons and the seasoned Lynx team mounted their charge with relentlessness. Minnesota star Napheesa Collier delivered a masterpiece with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 14 in the second half. Her go-ahead 18-footer with 1:24 remaining put the Lynx in front for good, capping a comeback that saw Minnesota chip away possession by possession.

Kayla McBride added 18, including a scoop shot that gave the Lynx their first lead of the fourth quarter.

Even then, the Valkyries were not done. They forced a late shot-clock violation, setting up one final chance to win the game with four seconds left. The ball found Cecilia Zandalasini’s hands and though her jumper fell just short, the crowd stayed on its feet well past the final buzzer, chanting “GSV!” as a show of love, support and appreciation.

Burton, who capped her breakout year by earning the league’s Most Improved Player honor, nearly recorded a double-double with 13 points and nine assists, while adding six rebounds and four steals in a brilliant floor-general performance.

Monique Billings was electric off the bench with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a three-point play just before the third-quarter buzzer that seemed to signal Golden State’s night of destiny.

Janelle Salaün and Zandalasini chipped in 14 apiece, with Salaün shooting over 50 percent.

Rupert contributed eight points, five assists, and two big threes.

Head coach Natalie Nakase, named WNBA Coach of the Year earlier in the day, made sure her players understood what they had built. “So proud. So proud. That's the first thing I said,” she told reporters afterward. “To have that place rocking tonight, to have that Ballhalla mentality, to be able to go toe-to-toe to the number one team, I was so proud. Again, past expectations, and it didn't fall our way.”

Nakase reminded her team that their story was historic with 23 wins, the first expansion franchise ever to reach the postseason, and a perfect season of 23 straight sellouts at home capped by a packed playoff crowd in San Jose. “They don't mind being uncomfortable,” Nakase said. “We're the first expansion team to go this far. We basically just made history. Celebrate tonight for everything that you guys have accomplished.”

Burton echoed her coach’s gratitude. “This was an incredible experience. This was an incredible team,” she said. “A group of women that are really great people, and obviously, ballers too. But I think it's bigger than basketball right now, and just appreciating where we are, appreciating being in the Bay, in front of this fan base. It's just been really special.”

Salaün agreed, noting that the support never wavered. “Personally, it was still amazing,” she said. “You felt it, we felt the energy, especially the beginning of the game. We have amazing fans, and this is one of the best parts of this season. They played a big role in this game today and other games.”

For the Valkyries, this first season was nothing short of magical, improbable, unforgettable, and filled with moments that felt pulled from a storybook. Although their inaugural run ended with a sudden thump courtesy of the Lynx, the crowd was still roaring, their coach was beaming with pride, and their players were already looking ahead.

Chapter one was a season of epic proportions, and if this was only the beginning, the rest of the franchise’s journey promises to be an extraordinary saga.

Thank you to every Valkyries fan who turned Ballhalla into a season for the ages.