The Valkyries’ matchup with the Seattle Storm had massive implications. For the Storm, it was an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot. A failure to do so would have been a massive disappointment for the veteran team. For the Valkyries, the game was an opportunity to improve their playoff standing.
Seattle eventually got the 74-73 win after a big-time clutch basket from Erica Wheeler with 19.2 seconds left in the game. Janelle Salaün got up two attempts—one layup and one three—to win the game, but missed both.
The Valkyries won’t take this loss lightly, and fans should expect them to go into their final regular-season game and the playoffs desperate to redeem themselves.
Natalie Nakase and her players weren’t happy with the loss
After the game, Salaün and Veronica Burton were visibly upset with the loss.
“It’s not good enough if we want to go far in the playoffs, if we want to be a contending team,” Burton said in the postgame press conference. “It’s just the little things like the little possessions, fighting for every loose ball.”
Head coach Natalie Nakase wasn’t thrilled either. “Just disappointed in myself,” she said when asked how she felt about the loss. “I don’t think I handled the game very well. Just schematically, I thought I could do a better job.”
Later, she added, “I can’t make any errors down the stretch.”
The Valkyries still have work to do
The Valkyries achieved their biggest goal for the season: making the playoffs. That doesn’t mean that the team’s work is done, though. Nakase and her players still have high expectations and hope to perform well in the playoffs. Their frustration after losing a close game despite already having clinched a playoff spot proves that.
Golden State shouldn’t be underestimated in the playoffs, but its first-round matchup won’t be an easy challenge to overcome. Depending on the outcome of the Valkyries’ final game of the season, they will have to face either the Lynx, the Dream, or the Aces. If the Valkyries beat Minnesota, they will end up with the sixth seed and face the Aces or Dream, depending on the outcome of the Aces’ final game. If the Valkyries lose, they will drop to eighth and face the Lynx.
The only way the Valkyries will stand a chance against any of the top three teams in the league, is if they enter the playoffs ready to play as hard as possible and leave everything on the court. This loss to the Storm should provide the proper fuel for a task like that, even if the Valkyries can ease the sting with a win over the Lynx to close out the season.