MINNEAPOLIS – There was a moment after the first quarter where it looked like the Golden State Valkyries were on the precipice of doing the unexpected. The ball was flowing, the shots were falling, and the team had a sizable lead on the juggernaut Minnesota Lynx.

That moment dissipated not long after in the second quarter when, according to head coach Natalie Nakase, the officiating took them out of rhythm.

“I thought we were in a great flow, you know? We were shooting really well,” Nakase said in her post-game press conference. “I thought we were moving the ball, we were making the right reads, we were playing beautiful basketball. And then all of a sudden, the fouls. Called consecutively. It wasn't that the fouls are balanced, it's that the fouls are being called when we're on a run, and it shifts the momentum.”

While the foul discrepancy and officiating weren't the main issue in the Golden State's 101-72 loss in Game 1, it definitely affected the Valkyries' “beautiful basketball” in the second quarter. In the second quarter, Minnesota shot 9-for-11 from the free-throw line compared to the Valkyries' single free-throw attempt. That slowed the game down, which made it difficult for Golden State to get back into its offensive flow and ball movement.

“Like I said. It's the timing of it. Back-to-back consecutive fouls when we were in rhythm,” she said. “We're shooting daylight, and they're not shooting well. And then all of a sudden, the fouls are being called on our end, where we can't even get a shot off, and then they're shooting free throws. It's just a momentum killer.”

Lynx win Game 1 with waves of offense

In her own post-game presser, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve also talked about the inconsistent officiating from the referees.

“I think both teams are aggressive and physical. At halftime, it was clear that there was a conversation,” Reeve said. “I asked one of the officials, ‘What'd you guys talk about at halftime?' Because it clearly changed, and they said they just want to get the obvious [fouls] out.”

Reeve later emphasized that she didn't think the officiating was the major factor in deciding the game, but sympathized with Nakase's frustrations with the consistency of the calls.

What was a factor in Game 1, was the Lynx's offense.

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After a slow first quarter, the Lynx wrestled control of the game thanks to the efforts of Napheesa Collier, who finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, as well as Natisha Hiedeman, who burned the Valkyries for 18 points off the bench. Kayla McBride also got hot from deep, collecting 17 points on 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.

Once Minnesota got a lid on the Valkyries' offense, their defense created transition opportunities for them, which fueled multiple runs in the second and third quarters. But where the Lynx really dominated the Valkyries was in the paint and off the bench. They outscored Golden State 44-18 in points in the paint and 42-17 in points off the bench.

“Their physicality increased,” Veronica Burton said in her post-game press conference. “We weren't hitting as many shots. The thing with a team like Minnesota is they're going to be very steady the entire game. There's no let-up. There's really no drop-off.”

Golden State's mindset heading back to the Bay

Nakase admitted the officiating caused some frustration for her, which was why she picked up a technical foul midway through the game. And while she was adamant in her anger towards the officiating, Nakase's mindset is on Game 2, an elimination game.

“[The Lynx] did their job. They're supposed to win here at home. Now we get to go home. Now we get to go to Valhalla in front of our amazing fans and play with, you know, the love and support that we always have. And we got to do our job, so we'll make the adjustments as is, but we just got to make sure through these momentum killers, how can we be more effective? Or, how can it be more fair?”

It's a tough loss to swallow, considering the final score and how good the Valkyries looked in the first quarter before things unraveled for them. In her post-game press conference, Burton was asked about how the team will pick themselves up after a frustrating game.

“I mean, you feel it, you get frustrated with the things we didn't execute,” Burton answered. “But it's a series for a reason. It's 1-0, they are supposed to win at home… Now it's our turn to do it at home. And just learn from it. It’s not easy, they’re a good team but if you get too wrapped up in this loss, it’ll be over before you know it. So just move on.”