As the season progresses, the Minnesota Lynx continue their strong run in the WNBA, once again aiming to reach the Finals — this time with a different outcome. In a hard-fought matchup, Cheryl Reeve’s squad got past the Golden State Valkyries, and the head coach knows exactly what one of the keys to victory was.
It was an 82–71 victory, and with that result, the reigning league runners-up remain atop their conference with a 16–2 record, staying unbeaten at home.
After the game, the veteran HC spoke with the media and shared what she believed was the key to getting the job done. While she knows her team never takes any opponent lightly, she acknowledged that it was in the second half where the Lynx stepped up their effort — ultimately delivering a major blow to the Valkyries.
“The players decided to play a little harder,” Reeve stated as reported by Kent Youngblood of the Minnesota Star Tribune. She also highlighted the performance of Jessica Shepard: “Shepard’s effort was otherworldly.”

Head coach Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx talks with her player Jessica Shepard #15 during the second half against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on June 8, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.
The key according to Collier
Napheesa Collier, the team’s biggest star and the game’s top scorer with 22 points, revealed after the game what she believed was the main key that allowed her team to come out on top in a tough matchup against Golden State.

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“I think they were just getting really easy shots,” Collier said in a video of the postgame press conference posted on the Lynx’s YouTube channel.
“You know, they’re open from three, they’re open from in the paint getting offensive rebounds, cutting. So we really try to lock in on that. Get back to what our scheme was and teams are going to go on runs, but we have to stay kind of poised and in control and make sure that we get back to what our defense is.”
What’s next for the Lynx?
- vs Chicago Sky, July 6th
- vs Phoenix Mercury, July 9th
- vs Los Angeles Sparks, July 10th
- vs Chicago Sky, July 12th
- vs Chicago Sky, July 14th