Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I think tonight’s game between the Bills and Dolphins could get pretty ugly. Is Miami coach Mike McDaniel’s job at risk?
In today’s SI:AM:
- 50 most powerful figures in sports
- Jayden Daniels revives D.C. football
- How the Eagles press every advantage
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One step closer to a Finals return
The Lynx showed Wednesday night why they’ve been the best team in the WNBA all season, erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to knock the Valkyries out of the playoffs and become the first team to advance to the semifinal round.
Minnesota was dominant in Game 1 of the best-of-three series at home on Sunday, winning 101–72 behind 20 points from presumptive MVP Napheesa Collier. But Golden State was buoyed by a raucous home crowd in Game 2 and was in control for much of the night. The Valkyries stretched their lead to as many as 17 points early in the third quarter as they shot lights out from three (including 7-for-11 from deep in the first half).
Golden State led by 14 points at the end of the third quarter, which didn’t bode well for the Lynx. Since the WNBA moved from playing two halves to four quarters in 2006, teams that trail by at least 14 points after three quarters had been a combined 11–1,262 (in both regular-season and postseason play). The Lynx had lost all 76 times they’d found themselves in that situation.
But Minnesota immediately turned things around in the fourth quarter, opening the period on an 11–0 run. The Lynx finally took the lead on a layup by Kayla McBride with just under three minutes to play. A Collier jumper from the left corner with 1:24 left gave them the lead for good.
“I am just so proud of our effort,” Collier said after the game. “I think it shows the grit and the resilience that this team has and what we’ve been talking about for two years. I was really proud of us today.”
The Lynx’s win marked the end of a remarkable season for the Valkyries. Golden State is the league’s first expansion team since 2008 and exceeded all expectations in its first season by going 23–21 to qualify for the playoffs. No other WNBA expansion team had ever made the playoffs in its first season. The last two teams to join the league had nightmarish debut seasons. The Sky went 5–29 in 2006 and the Dream went 4–30 in ’08.
Despite not making any high-profile free-agent signings and relying almost solely on the expansion draft to fill out their roster, the Valkyries found incredible success in their first season. One major reason was the play of guard Veronica Burton. After seeing limited action in her first three WNBA seasons with the Wings and Sun, Burton had a breakout year for the Valkyries. She started all 44 games, averaging 11.9 points and 6.0 assists, and was named the league’s Most Improved Player. Burton wasn’t the only member of the team to take home some hardware. Coach Natalie Nakase won the Coach of the Year award for her work turning this bunch of castoffs into a winner.
The Valkyries never stood a chance against a team as formidable as the Lynx, though. Minnesota was the best team in the league all season, finishing with a 34–10 record, four more wins than any other team. It had the best offense and defense in the league on a per-possession basis.
After losing in the Finals last season, the Lynx are one step closer to avenging that loss. They’ll face the winner of the Mercury-Liberty series in the next round. Phoenix blew out New York in Brooklyn on Wednesday night, 86–60, to force a decisive Game 3. That game will be on Friday night in Phoenix.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- Today we dropped our 2025 Power List, honoring the 50 most influential figures in sports right now.
- The Power List is the centerpiece of the October issue of Sports Illustrated. The cover story from that issue is Conor Orr’s profile of Jayden Daniels, the Commanders quarterback who’s making football in D.C. fun.
- At the Barclays Center for the WNBA Playoffs, Clare Brennan watched the Mercury flip the script with a blowout win over the Liberty.
- Andrew Brandt breaks down how the Eagles are pressing every advantage—from the tush push to cap strategy—and how the Packers are starting to look like true NFC contenders.
- Jon Wertheim digs into the USTA’s controversial decision to ask broadcasters not to show crowd reactions to President Trump’s U.S. Open visit, arguing it undercuts the credibility of the USTA’s messaging on accessibility and transparency.
- Kevin Sweeney highlights ten under-the-radar transfers in men’s college hoops who are quietly moving up—or finally landing in systems built for them—and set to make noise in 2025-26.
The top five…
… things I saw last night:
5. The bizarre play that resulted in the final out of a winner-take-all minor league baseball playoff game.
4. A tough bucket by Napheesa Collier while drawing a foul.
3. Boston sports anchor Steve Burton’s on-air message to his daughter, Veronica, after she was named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player.
2. A really difficult throw by Jazz Chisholm Jr. to get the out at first.
1. Rays center fielder Chandler Simpson’s perfectly timed jump to rob a homer.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | Lynx’s Historic Comeback Ends Valkyries’ Dream Debut Season.
