Valkyries Fall in Final Seconds to Lynx; Zandalisini Scores Season-High 18 Points
WNBA Golden State Valkyries

Valkyries Fall in Final Seconds to Lynx; Zandalisini Scores Season-High 18 Points

Published on June 4, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Golden State Valkyries News Release


Cecilia Zandalasini's 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell just short as the Golden State Valkyries lost 87-84 to the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night at Target Center in the team's second game of the Commissioner's Cup.

Olivia Miles, who came into the game shooting just 2-for-18 (11.1%) in her rookie campaign, scored a career-high 28 points for Minnesota. Cecilia Zandalasini led the Valkyries in scoring with 18 points, while Janelle Salaün (17 PTS) and Tiffany Hayes (15 PTS) combined for 32 of the Valkyries' 37 bench points.

HAYES PASSES MAYA MOORE

With her final bucket of the contest, Tiffany Hayes passed Hall of Famer Maya Moore (4,984) for 31st all-time on the WNBA's all-time scoring list.

Hayes scored 15 points on the night on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting to go along with five rebounds and three assists.

SALAÜN'S THIRD QUARTER

Janelle Salaün scored nine of her 17 points in a three minute span in the third quarter, hitting all three of 3-point attempts in the frame. She showcased her ability to score in different ways, hitting a pair of catch-and-shoot threes along with hitting a stepback over Natasha Howard after setting a screen for Tiffany Hayes.

Salaün finished the game with 17 bench points, knocking down a team-high five threes on eight attempts.

ZANDALASINI'S MILESTONE

Cecilia Zandalasini made her 100th career 3-pointer on Thursday. Early in the first quarter, Zandalasini received a Gabby Williams pass and knocked down a catch-and-shoot three to hit the milestone.

Zandalasini recorded a season-high 18 points on 14 shots, including scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter.

CHEN'S SHOOTING

Kaitlyn Chen, who came into Thursday night leading the league in 3-point percentage (63.6%), continued her hot shooting start.

Chen made her first 3-point attempt of the game and finished the game with five points in 14 minutes of action.

FIRST MATCHUP SINCE 2025 PLAYOFFS

Thursday night marked the first matchup between the Valkyries and Lynx since Minnesota eliminated the Valks from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.

Minnesota defeated Golden State six times in 2025 (4 regular season, 2 playoffs), and remain the only franchise the Valkyries have yet to beat that they have faced off against.

COMMISSIONER'S CUP STANDINGS

After two games, the Valkyries are now 1-1 in the Commissioner's Cup, with Minnesota being the only team in the Western Conference with two wins so far.

The Valkyries will play seven total Commissioner's Cup games, one against each team in the Western Conference. The team from each conference with the best record in Cup play will advance to the championship on June 30.

For each Commissioner's Cup game from June 1-17, winning teams earned a monetary donation of $3,000 for their chosen local organization; losing teams earned $1,000 for their selected organization. An additional $10,000 donation will be made to the non-profit organization aligned with the winner of the Championship Game of the Commissioner's Cup presented by Coinbase and $5,000 will be made to the organization of the runner-up.

The Valkyries are proud to team up with Youth UpRising, who works to transform East Oakland by developing youth leadership and improving the systems that impact young people.

UP NEXT

The Valkyries continue their Commissioner's Cup slate, visiting the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday afternoon (12 p.m.; ABC), before returning to Chase Center to host the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, June 9 (7 p.m.; KPIX (Bay Area) KOVR (Sacramento)). All fans in attendance on Tuesday will receive a Valkyries T-Shirt, presented by Kaiser Permanente.

Check out the Golden State Valkyries Statistics

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