Valkyries shut down Olivia Miles, secure first-ever win over Lynx to deny Minnesota a clinch of No. 1 playoff seed

The Minnesota Lynx had a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs Monday night.

But in a potential WNBA Finals preview, the Golden State Valkyries were the better team by far in an 80-66 win in Minnesota.

The win was the first-ever for Golden State over Minnesota, which entered Monday 9-0 against the Valkyries, including a 2-0 sweep in the first round of last season’s playoffs. Now the Valkyries, in their second season of existence, have beaten every other WNBA team.

The Valkyries’ win also denied the Lynx a shot to clinch the No. 1 seed in the postseason, keeping their own long-shot hopes of securing the top seed alive. The Lynx drop to 31-8 with the loss, while the second-place Valkyries improve to 26-11.

The Valkyries are now three games behind the Lynx in the race for the WNBA’s best record with seven games remaining on their schedule. The Lynx will play five more regular-season games. Both teams have already clinched a playoff berth and the could potentially face off in the WNBA Finals if they maintain the top two spots in the field.

On Monday, the Valkyries got the win in part by shutting down Lynx sensation Olivia Miles, who’s on track for first-team All-WNBA honors as a rookie. But Miles looked little like an All-WNBA player Monday night in one of the worst outings of her rookie campaign.

The Valkyries limited Miles to 8 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor, including a 1-of-5 clip from 3. She committed a game-high four turnovers against Valkyries team that committed just six as a whole. The Lynx gave the ball away 17 times on a night when possession and defense defined Golden State’s blowout win.

The Valkyries limited Minnesota to 36% shooting from the field, and their zone defense repeatedly disrupted passing lanes to create transition buckets on the other end that resulted in 21 points off turnovers.

Natasha Howard (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 turnovers) and Kayla McBride (12 points, 2 of 11 from the field) were the only Lynx players to reach double figures. Perennial All-WNBA selection Napheesa Collier joined Miles in single figures with 9 points and 7 rebounds in her 11th game back from long-term ankle injuries.

The Lynx played without All-Star guard Courtney Wiliams, who was sidelined with a foot injury sustained in Friday’s win over the Washington Mystics. She’s considered day-to-day.

The Valkyries countered with five players in double figures in a balanced effort led by Cecilia Zandalasini‘s 18 points. Veronica Burton stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 5 steals. She led all players in assists and steals.

It’s a formula Golden State would like to emulate in a potential playoff for Finals clash against the Valkyries. Minnesota, which won three prior matchups this season, would surely come back with some different looks in a potential playoff clash.