Valkyries playoff preview: What to know about the Minnesota Lynx

The Valkyries first-round playoff stage is set After falling to the Minnesota Lynx - in the regular season finale on Thursday the Valkyries dropped to the No seed and will stay in the Land of a Thousand Lakes for Event starting on Sunday The Lynx were by far the best crew in the league this season finishing with a - record Golden State were swept in the regular season series by Minnesota in games that were not particularly close The Lynx will be seeking their fifth WNBA title setting the record for the bulk championships by a franchise in league history Minnesota was in the finals last season but fell to the New York Liberty in five games Here s a breakdown of the Valkyries first-round opponent Who are the Lynx s top players Minnesota is led by MVP candidate Napheesa Collier who has averages of points rebounds and assists while shooting from the field and from the -point line But while Collier demands bulk of the opposing defense s attention the Lynx have a plethora of options to go to Guard Kayla McBride is a two-way forward who is averaging points per battle on from the -point line The backcourt duo of Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman also known as the StudBudz are shifty tough shot-making guards that can get hot in a hurry The Lynx also have possibly the best on-ball defender in the league in former Stanford standout DiJonai Carrington coming off the bench Alanna Smith Jessica Shepard and Bridget Carleton are all complimentary players that fit Minnesota s system well Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx attempts a jump shot in the fourth quarter against Iliana Rupert of the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center on Sept in San Francisco California NOTE TO USER User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and or using this photograph User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement Photo by Kavin Mistry Getty Images What do the Lynx do best Well just about everything The Lynx entered Thursday s contest against the Valkyries with the highest scoring offense at points per tournament Minnesota averages the the majority assists while leading the league in field goal and -point percentage The Lynx also boast the league s best defense as they have the best defensive rating in the league Minnesota s opponents turned the ball over an average of times per challenge scoring under points per competition Natisha Hiedeman of the Minnesota Lynx dribbles the ball baseline in the third quarter against Kate Martin of the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center on Sept in San Francisco California NOTE TO USER User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and or using this photograph User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement Photo by Kavin Mistry Getty Images Season series The regular season series wasn t particularly close with the Lynx who took all four games including two by at ease margins in the final week of the season In the first three games Golden State kept things somewhat competitive until the final quarter where Minnesota s star power became too much In four games against the Valkyries Collier has averaged points and rebounds The Lynx along with the Phoenix Mercury are the only teams that the Valkyries haven t beaten in the regular season Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams of the Minnesota Lynx celebrate a basket in the third quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center on Sept in San Francisco California NOTE TO USER User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and or using this photograph User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement Photo by Kavin Mistry Getty Images Top storylines Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes has missed the last eight games with a knee injury Coach Natalie Nakase announced the veteran guard worked out before Thursday s tournament but did not say whether she will be ready to play in the playoffs Cecilia Zandalasini returned from a calf injury in Tuesday s loss to the Seattle Storm that sidelined her for eight games She played just five minutes on Tuesday but Nakase ramped up the Italian sharpshooter against the Lynx as she played minutes and scored eight points Iliana Rupert walked off the court limping against Minnesota early in the fourth quarter She did not return Collier recorded a - - season joining Elena Delle Don as the only players in league history to shoot at least from the field from the -point line and at the free throw line Minnesota will go into the playoffs winning six of its last games The Valkyries lost three straight to end the regular season Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier dribbles against Golden State Valkyries' Monique Billings in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco Calif on Sunday June Nhat V Meyer Bay Area News Group