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.
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.”
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.
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.
