First Round, Game 2: Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx - Postgame Notes and Quotes
WNBA Golden State Valkyries

First Round, Game 2: Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx - Postgame Notes and Quotes

Published on September 18, 2025 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


First Round, Game 2: Golden State Valkyries at Minnesota Lynx - Postgame Notes, Quotes and Links

Golden State 74, Minnesota 75

By the Numbers

The Valkyries drew a sell-out crowd of 18,543, and have sold out all 23 home contests this season.

Monique Billings led the team with 15 points on 7-12 (58.3 percent) from the field.

Veronica Burton narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine assists. Burton also added six rebounds and four steals.

Cecilia Zandalasini and Janelle Salaün each had 14 points in the start. Salaün shot 4-7 from the floor (51.7 percent).

Iliana Rupert handed out five assists and scored eight points on 2-4 (50.0 percent) from three-point range.

Golden State started out 6-7 from three, with Rupert and Burton each starting out 2-2. The Valkyries went 63.6 percent (7-11 from three) in the first half, and 50.0 percent (11-22) in the game.

Golden State caps off a historic season featuring a postseason berth (first WNBA expansion team to reach the postseason in its first season), 23 wins, and a sell-out in every home game. Burton was named the league's Most Improved Player, Natalie Nakase was named the WNBA Coach of the Year, and Salaün was named to the Associated Press All-Rookie Team.

Quotes

HEAD COACH NATALIE NAKASE:

ON TONIGHT'S GAME:

"So proud. So proud. That's the first thing I said. Number one, I said, get your heads up and they were down, and I said, I want everyone's eye contact. I want to feel every single person right now. I want your emotions, I want your heart, I want everything, and everyone looked up, and I just told them how proud I was. To have that place rocking tonight, to have that Ballhalla mentality, to be able to go toe-and-toe to the number one team, I was so proud. I was just so proud of Ceci (Cecilia Zandalasini). To be able to have that type of confidence at the end of the game, and to put it all on her shoulders. I looked at her. You got this? And she goes, yep. She's got it, I told her, I'm always going to ride with you to the end of the game. I'm always riding with you for my last shooter, and she was able to create separation, lift. It was so beautiful. I was looking back at when I would watch Michael Jordan. I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm going to see Michael Jordan right now. So just overly proud. Again, past expectations, and it didn't fall our way.

Oo go in from what Ceci was last year and to now be closing with her in a playoff game, that's incredible growth, and I'm just so proud of everyone."

ON THE ADVERSITY FACED THIS SEASON:

"They don't mind being uncomfortable, and we kind of talked about that after we were breaking it down. We had a long conversation, and they just said, thank you, coach. Thank you for making us uncomfortable. And then someone else mentioned we're uncommon. We're the first to do this. We're the first expansion team to go this far. We basically just made history, and so that's why it didn't go our way; and of course we're upset and we're frustrated. But at the same time I always say, life is short. I lost my dad. I lost my best friend. Tomorrow ain't promised, y'all. So I said, celebrate tonight. Celebrate tonight for everything that you guys have accomplished. With KT (Kayla Thornton) going down, I'm still so proud of KT for her maturity and for her fight back and to be positive for everyone tonight. Even, you know, without Tip (Tiffany) Hayes. We had two starters out and we went toe-to-toe with the number one team. That shows so much fight. I'm just so proud of them for just allowing me to push them past what they felt that they can do, and that's not easy. A lot of people kind of like to stay put. They like to be stagnant. Not this team. This team doesn't like to be stagnant. They like to be challenged."

ON WATCHING THE TEAM HUDDLE AT THE END:

"I don't know what was said, but I could all see them up with Ceci (Cecilia Zandalasini), because you could tell she felt so disappointed and everything. But it never comes down to one shot. A lot of it's on me, how I navigate the game. I'm always going to take that on my shoulders. I'm going to watch it tonight. But what I'm sure they said was, 'Ceci, thank you. Thank you for taking that shot.' Not everyone has that in their DNA, and so they were trying to give some love and support. And then I also tried to tell them enjoy this. That Ballhalla crowd, they continued to cheer for us as we huddled and we waved goodbye. Because of that Ballhalla mentality, they're a part of us. You could feel it. You could really feel how proud they were at the same time. Obviously, they wanted it, too. The crowd was amazing tonight. So loud I couldn't even get V's (Veronica Burton) attention at times. We're so grateful. We know having a sold-out crowd is uncommon, as well, so we're not going to take this for granted. We appreciate all the fans. You guys were the best fans in the league and we're not going to take this for granted, and we're going to get back to work. We already had some players already saying, 'I'm going to do better.' I was like, enjoy the moment. Enjoy it. But, that's our mentality."

GOLDEN STATE GUARD VERONICA BURTON AND FORWARD JANELLE SALAÜN

ON PROCESSING THE LOSS:

Burton: "Obviously, that's a really tough way to go out. When you have a lead majority of the game, I think we've had a few games like that this year, so, stings even more. Just really soaking this all in. This was an incredible experience. This was an incredible team. A group of women that are really great people, and obviously, ballers too. But I think it's bigger than basketball right now, and just appreciating where we are, appreciating being in the Bay, in front of this fan base. It's just been really special. So, just appreciating it."

ON HER EXPERIENCE THIS SEASON:

Salaün: "Right now, it's hard, because ending the season on a loss is always hard. But like she (Veronica Burton) said, we talked to each other at the end of the game. You guys saw us coming together and just picking each other up. I think in a few days I will look back and I'll be proud and just happy to be able to live this, those experiences with an amazing group, amazing people. It's just hard right now. It's just hard, but in a few days I'm sure I will be super happy about it."

ON BALLHALLA:

Salaün: "Personally, it was still amazing. It was great to see that so many of our fans came. You felt it, we felt the energy, especially the beginning of the game. So that's, that's why I want to thank all the people that came all the way to San Jose. We have amazing fans, and this is one of the best parts of this season. Bringing all those people. They're pushing us. They played a big role in this game today and other games. So thanks to everybody."

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