Natisha Hiedeman came off the bench to score 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting as the Minnesota Lynx pulled away for a 72-53 win over the Golden State Valkyries in the regular-season finale for both teams Thursday night in Minneapolis.
Napheesa Collier added 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting for Minnesota (34-10), which improved upon its franchise record for most wins in a regular season. The Lynx already had locked up the WNBA’s best record and the No. 1 playoff seed.
Iliana Rupert scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds for Golden State (23-21), which is headed to the playoffs in its inaugural season. The Valkyries finished with the No. 8 seed and will face the Lynx in the first round.
Kaila Charles, Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini also scored eight points apiece for Golden State. Janelle Salaun led the team with 11 rebounds but missed 11 of 12 shots.
Minnesota shot 43.3 percent (29 of 67) overall and 32.1 percent (9 of 28) from beyond the 3-point line. Golden State shot 28.8 percent (19 of 66) overall and 11.1 percent (3 of 27) from long distance.
The Lynx jumped to a 17-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Jessica Shepard made a driving layup and Hiedeman knocked down a 3-pointer to finish off the first-quarter scoring for Minnesota.
The Lynx increased their advantage to 34-22 at the half, thanks in part to an 18-foot jump shot by Collier to give the team a 12-point edge with 1:19 to go before the break.
Golden State rallied in the third quarter when it outscored Minnesota 19-13.
Charles made a driving layup to start a 9-0 run that pulled the Valkyries within 39-34 with 4:58 remaining in the third quarter. The Lynx pulled ahead 47-41 at the end of the third following a tip shot by Hiedeman with 1:05 to go.
In the fourth quarter, the Lynx outscored the Valkyries 25-12 to seal the victory. Minnesota opened the final period on a 12-0 run that included nine points from Hiedeman.
–Field Level Media
