Valkyries' Natalie Nakase Gets Honest After Game 1 Loss to Lynx

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase was happy with the way the game was going in the first half, but noticed a change as the game went on, including the return of a problem that has plagued Nakase and the Valkyries throughout the season.

Nakase Takes Issue with Officiating

“I thought we were playing beautiful basketball and then all of a sudden the fouls get called consecutively," Nakase said (via Andrew Dukowitz). "It wasn’t that the fouls are balanced; the fouls are getting called when we’re on a run, and it shifts the momentum.”

The Valkyries committed 22 personal fouls compared to the Lynx's 23, and by game's end, the Valkyries actually ended up with more free throw opportunities overall, shooting 23-27 from the charity stripe while the Lynx shot 21-24.

Though it wasn't the total number of free throw opportunities that Nakase was taking issue with, it was the timing of foul calls against the Valkyries.

"Not only do we not get a shot up, we're watching them shoot free throws consecutively," Nakase said. "It's hard to keep a flow of the game like that going."

Nakase cited a specific instance in the second quarter where the Lynx went to the line 11 times before the Valkyries ever went once, finally earning a single free throw from guard Veronica Burton in the final seconds before halftime. The second quarter was where things really slipped away for the Valkyries, as their lowest scoring period, mustering just 12 points.

Golden State's Scoring Struggles

While Nakase took issue with the way that foul calls shifted the momentum away from Golden State, it was clear from the box score that Minnesota was putting on a dominant offensive performance.

The Lynx outshot the Valkyries by 15 made field goals and controlled the game with superior rebounding and assist totals. The Valkyries have struggled offensively as of late, going back to the regular season, something that was mentioned as a flaw of the Golden State roster in ESPN's most recent playoffs projection.

The Valkyries have one of the lowest scoring offenses in the league and scored an average of 69.6 points per game in their final five regular season performances, where they went 2-3. Inconvenient foul-calling aside, the Valkyries will need to find a way to score at a high volume if they hope to contend with the Lynx and keep their playoff hopes alive.

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