Hiedeman scores 24, Collier 20 As Lynx rejects Valkyries 78-72 – News Democrats
SAN FRANCISCO – Natisha Hiedeman scored 24 points with her career highest score, giving Minnesota Lynx a 78-72 win over Golden State Valkyrie Saturday night.
Lynx (33-9) has already won the top seed in the playoffs and he ran a lot to end the third quarter. Veronica Burton exchanged the 3-pointer for 3-pointers with the remaining 45 seconds of 74-72, but Napheesa Collier followed the baseline jumper.
Kayla McBride won his title with two free throws after the turnover.
Collier scored 20 points. Minnesota rested Alanna Smith, but Jessica Shepard started off with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Courtney Williams added 14 points.
Janelle Salaun, Illana Rupert and Kaila Charles scored 15 points for Valkyries and Burton scored 14 points. Golden State sold out every home game this season and set a WNBA attendance record average of 18,604.
When Salaum hit 3, the Valkyries led the half 36-31 while Charles scored a last-minute layup.
In less than three minutes in the third quarter, the Bobcats fell from the Mountains for six minutes. Hiedeman was fouled when he was fouled on a three-pointer. She paid all the free throws for the lead, and the subsequent possession of Shepard was abandoned as 55-52. Hiedeman added two more 3-pointers to enter the fourth quarter with a 16-0 record and a 61-52 lead.
Golden State University was in Seattle Tuesday in Minnesota in Indiana.
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