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Valkyrie Nation · Aug 19, 2026

Game 35 preview. Minnesota Lynx at GSV. 7:00 PM PT

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Eric Apricot · Valkyrie Nation

Last game’s Valkyrie Valor goes to Gabby Williams!

Table of Contents

Valkyries PR wrote:

AT&T WNBA ALL-STAR HEADING TO THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA IN 2027

Golden State Valkyries to Host the Region’s First WNBA All-Star, with Events on Friday, July 30 and the 2027 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, July 31

NEW YORK, NY and SAN FRANCISCO, CA, August 18, 2026 – The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced today that the Golden State Valkyries and the San Francisco Bay Area have been selected to host AT&T WNBA All-Star 2027, marking the first time the league’s premier midseason event will be held in the region. The 2027 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will take place on Saturday, July 31, 2027, at Chase Center, capping a weekend of WNBA All-Star events and activities across the Bay Area.

“We are thrilled to bring AT&T WNBA All-Star to the San Francisco Bay Area for the first time,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “The Golden State Valkyries have brought incredible energy and excitement to the WNBA from the moment they were announced as an expansion team in 2023, and the response from fans across the Bay Area has been remarkable. Valkyries fans have embraced this team with an extraordinary level of passion and enthusiasm, and we can’t wait to see that energy on full display for an unforgettable All-Star weekend next summer.”

“Hosting AT&T WNBA All-Star in only our third season is an incredible honor and a reflection of everything this fanbase, this region, and this organization have built together,” said Jess Smith, President, Golden State Valkyries. “From day one, the Bay Area has shown up for this team in a way that’s redefined what’s possible in women’s basketball, and we can’t wait to put that same energy on display for the entire league next summer.”

“In the last two years, the Golden State Valkyries have taken the world by storm—and San Francisco’s recovery has done the same. People are coming from across the world to visit our city, and we’re excited to welcome even more for the 2027 WNBA All-Star Game,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “San Francisco is the center of the sports world. After we hosted the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup, and NBA All-Star Weekend, we are bringing the MLB All-Star Game and Vogue World to our city—because the world can see that San Francisco is the place to be. When the WNBA’s best come next year, our unmatched passion for women’s sports, and our city’s comeback, will be on full display.”

“The 2027 WNBA All-Star Game coming to the Bay Area is a testament to what the Golden State Valkyries have built in such a short time… a passionate fanbase, sellout energy, and a community that has embraced women’s basketball at scale,” said Zaileen Janmohamed, CEO, Bay Area Host Committee. “It’s also a reflection of our region’s proven track record with major events, having successfully hosted NBA All-Star 2025, Super Bowl LX, and FIFA World Cup games. We’re ready to bring that same world-class approach to WNBA All-Star 2027.”

In addition to the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, fans can expect:

  • The Kia WNBA Shooting Stars and State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest at Chase Center on Friday, July 30.

  • The sixth annual WNBA Live presented by AWS at Moscone Center.

  • Community impact events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • Additional fan experiences, watch parties, and programming throughout the region, with more details to be announced in the coming months.

Friday night All-Star festivities will air Friday, July 30, on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. ET, and the 2027 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game will air Saturday, July 31, on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Further details, including ticket information and the complete schedule of events, will be announced in the coming months.

  • I’ll write some live notes from Ballhalla, so please excuse in-person mistakes.

  • I’ll post the raw discombobulated notes (if any) as I write them to the Discord server (see bottom) and quarter by quarter in the comments of this article.

  • Feel free to write your game reactions in either Discord or the article comments. Be respectful to each other. (Most of the live game chat seems to be happening in the Discord server. )

The TV channel finding experience is truly miserable in 2026.

  • USA
    I don’t even know what to tell you. I think this is part of typical cable packages and TV networks.

  • KPIX+ (Bay Area), KMAX (Sacramento)
    KPIX+ (channel 44, cable 12) is the home of Valkyries basketball. KMAX is channel 31 in Sacramento.

  • WNBA League Pass if you are out of the blackout region. Even if blacked out, in theory the game is available right after the conclusion.

VN reader jesswondering developed this bingo game with the help of the Valkyrie Nation Collective. You can read the backstory here.

To play:

  • Go to the Ballhalla BIngo Base

    • (the puzzle has been updated since last time, custom made for the Lynx game!)

  • Suggestions welcome! There’s a thread in the Discord for bingo feedback, or you can post in the comments.

sketch by Marisa Thinkmoo

  • Gabby Williams spurned free agency offers from the Minnesota Lynx (and Las Vegas Aces) to come to GSV.

  • The Valkyries nabbed sharpshooter Cecilia Zandalasini from the Lynx in the 2025 expansion draft, and she has been a key floor-spacer ever since. Zandalasini and MIN’s Natasha Howard were actually teammates on the 2017 Lynx championship team — Zandalasini was a rookie on that squad.

  • Tiffany Hayes (GSV) and Courtney Williams (MIN) were teammates on the Atlanta Dream in 2021, forming a potent scoring backcourt.

  • Kiah Stokes (GSV) and Natasha Howard (MIN) were teammates on the New York Liberty in 2021, when Howard arrived via a sign-and-trade from Seattle.

  • I limit myself to complaining only once a game that MIN got Olivia Miles, but this is that time of the day. It is freaking unfair that the Lynx ended up getting the 2026 #2 pick and Olivia Miles. That is some real trash trading from Chicago to put the league in this position.

    • 2024: CHI moves up one measly spot to swap from #8 to #7 to grab Angel Reese. They give up a 2026 1st round trade swap, which is a great deal for MIN. Also, CHI gave up 2025 2nd and Sika Koné for Nikolina Milić (whom they later traded away).

    • 2025: CHI wants #11 to grab Hailey Van Lith, so they convert the swap to giving MIN their 2026 1st.

    • So in the end, MIN gets Miles, CHI waives HVL and trades Reese for 2027, 2028 ATL.

    • I know a Valkyries fan is hardly in position to complain about another team’s bad draft trades, but come on.

  • And finally, the Valkyries have never managed to beat the Minnesota Lynx despite four attempts in the 2025 regular season and two attempts in the playoffs, followed by another two attempts this season. Not only that, but in 2025, the Lynx specifically targeted the Valkyries as having a bad matchup against the Lynx, and so Minnesota intentionally tanked a game down the stretch vs IND to maneuver the Valkyries into the number eight seed. The Lynx proved themselves right in their strategy by winning the first round series 2-0 (although the Valkyries led most of game two and had a shot to win at the end). The upshot is, it’s going to be really sweet when (if?) the Valkyries finally beat the Lynx.

by Karlie, Eric and the Valkyrie Nation Collection

Pop Quiz Game 35. Can you guess the reason for the team order? First few correct solutions sent to apricotan@gmail.com will be acknowledged in VN.

The readers with the correct answer to VN Pop Quiz Game 34 were

  • Karlie O

  • Vynce M

  • Sanya K

Thanks to everyone who tried. No, I’m not saying what the answer is. That’s so you can have a little puzzle to work on the next time you’re bored. When I have time, I will collect the puzzles this year in one place and add some optional hints.

Previous meetings this season:

Team stats (via stats.wnba.com and Basketball Reference, rank out of 15 teams):

  • ORTG: GSV 111.5 (6th) | MIN 116.2 (2nd)

  • DRTG: GSV 102.6 (1st) | MIN 105.2 (3rd)

  • NET RTG: GSV +8.9 (2nd) | MIN +11.0 (1st)

  • 2P%: GSV .486 (14th) | MIN .529 (7th)

  • 3P%: GSV .352 (6th) | MIN .394 (1st)

Golden State Valkyries (25-9)

Top 3 by stat (per game, via Basketball Reference, min 10 MPG):

  • PTS: Gabby Williams (14.9) | Janelle Salaün (13.0) | Veronica Burton (12.4)

  • AST: Veronica Burton (5.5) | Tiffany Hayes (2.4) | Kaitlyn Chen (2.0)

  • REB: Kiah Stokes (5.3) | Kayla Thornton (4.9) | Kaila Charles (4.4)

  • STL: Gabby Williams (1.7) | Veronica Burton (1.4) | Cecilia Zandalasini (0.9)

  • BLK: Kiah Stokes (1.8) | Laeticia Amihere (0.8) | Veronica Burton (0.4)

  • 2P%: Kaitlyn Chen (.609) | Kiah Stokes (.541) | Tiffany Hayes (.535)

  • 3P% (min 1.0 3PM): Janelle Salaün (.396) | Veronica Burton (.368) | Cecilia Zandalasini (.357)

  • FT%: Kayla Thornton (.920) | Janelle Salaün (.835) | Cecilia Zandalasini (.824)

  • PER: Veronica Burton (19.6) | Janelle Salaün (19.3) | Tiffany Hayes (18.8)

Minnesota Lynx (29-7)

Top 3 by stat (per game, via Basketball Reference, min 10 MPG):

  • PTS: Olivia Miles (19.9) | Napheesa Collier (19.1) | Kayla McBride (18.2)

  • AST: Olivia Miles (6.1) | Courtney Williams (4.2) | Natasha Howard (3.3)

  • REB: Natasha Howard (7.8) | Napheesa Collier (7.3) | Courtney Williams (5.1)

  • STL: Kayla McBride (1.8) | Natasha Howard (1.8) | Napheesa Collier (1.7)

  • BLK: Napheesa Collier (1.2) | Nia Coffey (1.1) | Olivia Miles (0.6)

  • 2P%: Natasha Howard (.601) | Olivia Miles (.537) | Nia Coffey (.529)

  • 3P% (min 1.0 3PM): Antonia Delaere (.439) | Kayla McBride (.423) | Olivia Miles (.400)

  • FT%: Kayla McBride (.922) | Olivia Miles (.877) | Courtney Williams (.813)

  • PER: Napheesa Collier (26.7) | Natasha Howard (23.3) | Olivia Miles (22.9)

The WNBA makes all injury reports available and updates the site absurdly often (every 15 minutes).

Golden State Valkyries

  • Rupert, Iliana — OUT FOR SEASON — Pregnancy (sigh)

  • TBA

Minnesota Lynx

  • TBA

I’ve been asked often what Probable, Available, Questionable, Doubtful mean. They are meant to not have specific probabilities attached to them, partly because how could you even hope to estimate such probabilities to any precision?

However, just for your information, I did do a quick study of all 501 injury reports from the WNBA from 2026-05-16 to 2026-07-05 and found:

  • 300+ players listed as Out, played < 1% of the time. (That 1% comprises development players listed as Out who were activated last-minute.)

  • 5 Players listed as Doubtful played 0% of the time.

  • 82 Players listed as Questionable played 45% of the time.

  • 12 Players listed as Available played 67% of the time.

  • 38 Players listed as Probable played 84% of the time.

Golden State Valkyries

Honorary Valkyries

Want to know more about a player? Check out Valkyries Say Less, who have a series of podcasts that profiles every Valkyrie!

Minnesota Lynx

  • 1 Natasha Howard, nuh-TASH-a

  • 2 Liatu King, LEE-uh-too

  • 3 Maya Caldwell

  • 5 Olivia Miles

  • 7 Anastasiia Olairi Kosu, oh-LAR-ee

  • 8 Antonia Delaere, dah-LAIR

  • 10 Courtney Williams

  • 11 Eliška Hamzová, eh-LEESH-kah HAHM-zoh-vah

  • 12 Nia Coffey, NEE-uh

  • 14 Dorka Juhász, YOO-hahs

  • 15 Teaira McCowan, tee-AIR-uh

  • 21 Kayla McBride

  • 22 Emma Čechová, CHEH-koh-vah

  • 24 Napheesa Collier, nuh-FEE-suh

Also, for more name pronunciations, including many players saying their own names, check out Her Hoop Stats.

  • Ash = Ashten Prechtel

  • Ceci (cheh-chee) = Cecilia Zandalasini

  • illy, ili = Iliana Rupert

  • Ja = Janelle Salaün

  • Jak = Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda

  • J.J. = Juste Jocyte

  • Kai = Kaila Charles

  • K.T. = Kayla Thornton

  • L.A. = Laeticia Amihere

  • Mr. Joe = owner Joe Lacob

    • (I’m not endorsing this; I’m just reporting that the GM and players use this all the time)

  • Nat = Natalie Nakase

  • Tip = Tiffany Hayes

  • V, V.B. = Veronica Burton

  • The Backcourt Burglar = Veronica Burton (college)

  • The Black Queen = Laeticia Amihere (from childhood)

  • KFC = Kaitlyn Chen (VN discord). Too many others to list…

    • I personally use Here Comes The Cheneral and Bringing the Chenergy.

  • Spooky G = Gabby Williams (uses herself, don’t know origin)

  • V12 = Veronica Burton (college probably)

By the way, I’ve started a new YouTube channel called Eric Apricot Jam. It would really help if you subscribed to it (for free!). This would tell YouTube that there is an audience for women’s basketball and that YT should share out my videos about the WNBA to more people.

These videos are meant to be friendly to beginners but have interesting observations for observers of all backgrounds. All the parts can be viewed independently, but the vocabulary does build up with each Part. The whole series can be found on YouTube here.

Here are the series in reverse posting order.

  • No Silly Questions with H: Valkyries at Toronto. (I discuss many important and random issues with my daughter H, such as isolation plays, coach adjustments, in the bonus / penalty, intentionally fouling, and the exact color shade of the Tempo)

Here’s a new video about the Chicago game on Aug 12 2026!

And here are the older videos which are still good to watch…

Part 4 terms defined include:

  • 00:38 Switching defense

  • 00:56 Mismatches

  • 02:15 Bad switches

  • 03:25 Show and recover defense (hedge and recover)

  • 04:54 Drop defense

  • 06:17 Valkyries 325 = Warriors 55

  • 06:54 Blitz / Trap / Double team defense, surprise

  • 07:41 Countering the blitz with isolation

  • 08:45 Drop vs blitz defense

Part 3 terms defined include:

  • 00:33 Go Over the screen, Go Under the screen, High side, Low side

  • 02:19 HORNS formation

  • 02:33 Dive or Roll

  • 03:23 HORNS 5

  • 04:14 Dribble handoff, DHO

  • 05:07 Pindown screen, Down screen

  • 05:15 Using the screen, Coming off the screen

  • 06:37 Jamming the cut, Bumping the cut, Denying the cut

  • 07:35 Slip a screen, Roll vs Pop

Part 2 terms defined include:

  • 00:38 Recover

  • 00:46 Bigs and Smalls

  • 00:54 Mismatch

  • 01:53 Rotating on defense

  • 02:42 Slipping the screen, ghosting the screen

  • 03:03 Double team, trap, blitz

  • 04:02 Rejecting the screen

  • 04:26 Helping at the nail

  • 06:21 Slide cut, Passing angle

Part 1 terms include:

  • 00:34 Dribbling and shooting, big vs small

  • 02:00 Screens

  • 02:10 Off ball

  • 02:32 Cut, Flare Cut, Flare Screen

  • 03:39 Ball Fake

  • 03:53 Geography of the Court

  • 03:57 Baseline, sideline, up, down, top

  • 04:10 Corners, elbows, HORNS

  • 05:29 Pick and roll, screen and roll

  • 05:49 Dribble handoff

  • 06:17 Rebounding, boxing out

  • 06:18 Roll

  • 07:18 Backdoor cut

  • 07:46 ICE defense

  • 07:51 take / accept / use the screen

If you don’t know what Discord is, you can ignore this. If you like how the site is now, then don’t worry. This site will still work the same and I’ll still post game previews and wraps over email and the web, etc.

However, if you are wondering where everyone is during game day, it’s the Discord server. For instance, for the 7/15 IND live game chat, there were 880 messages (that’s a lot, even if 150 of them were Kaitlyn Chen puns).

Basically Discord is a group chat where you can engage with me and other readers. It’s good for conversation that’s a bit more casual than leaving a web site comment. You can also respond with emojis and multimedia.

I have been posting my live game notes in the Discord chat as I write them. I even live-commented the media-coaches game over Discord and answered questions. Questions and comments sometimes turn into things I write about for the newsletter.

For now, I’ll keep it open to everyone, but I reserve the right in the future to restrict it to paying subscribers.

Many thanks to Marisa Emi and Tac0maAr0ma for volunteering to moderate the Discord and generally reorganizing it intelligently.

The invitation link for August: https://discord.gg/3P5XTuwAd

Read the original on valkyrienation.substack.com ↗

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