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Lynx make franchise history with win over Valkyries
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- Lynx make franchise history with win over Valkyries
The post Lynx make franchise history with win over Valkyries appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx are the first team to barge into the semifinal round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs after completing a sweep of the gritty Golden State Valkyries . Minnesota had to overcome a huge deficit in the fourth quarter to repulse the Valkyries and come away with a 75-74 win in Game 2 of this first-round series at SAP Center in San Jose.
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The Lynx entered the fourth quarter of Game 2 behind by 14 points. At that point, the Valkyries had over a 95 percent chance to win the contest and force a winner-take-all Game 3, per ESPN's win probability calculations. But Minnesota refused to go down. The Lynx battled back and outscored Golden State in the fourth quarter, 26-11, to pull off the unlikely come-from-behind victory.
How unlikely was that win by the Lynx?
Here's an incredible piece of information shared by Alexa Philippou of ESPN after the Lynx's thrilling comeback in Game 2:
"Since the 2006 season, when the WNBA switched from halves to quarters, the Minnesota Lynx were 0-76 when trailing by at least 14 points entering the 4th quarter (regular season + playoffs). Until tonight. The Lynx outscored the Valkyries 26-11 in the fourth to win by a point."
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Collier led the Lynx's charge in the fourth quarter, where she scored seven of her game-high 24 points. She finished the contest shooting 10-for-16 from the field with seven rebounds and four assists, along with a steal.
Meanwhile, Kayla McBride and DiJonai Carrington scored six points apiece in the fourth quarter.
As a team, Minnesota shot 46.3 percent from the floor.
Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini had a chance to stun Minnesota with a last-second shot, but she missed a 17-foot pull-up jumper at the buzzer. Monique Billings paced the Valkyries with 15 points off the bench, while Zandalasini and Janelle Salaun put up 14 points each.
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The Lynx swept Golden State as well in four games in the regular season, which means they concluded their 2025 head-to-head against the Valkyries with a clean 6-0 slate.
For now, the Lynx can rest up their bodies, as they wait for the conclusion of the other first-round series between the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty , the winner of which Minnesota will meet in the next phase of the playoffs.
Related: Lynx's Napheesa Collier reveals Cheryl Reeve's message that sparked 14-point 4th-quarter comeback
