Valkyries challenge league-best Lynx in early Commissioner's Cup battle

The Golden State Valkyries and Minnesota Lynx look to get the upper hand in the Western Conference's Commissioner's Cup standings when they meet Thursday in Minneapolis.

Both earned impressive wins in their Cup openers to set up an early showdown between two of the top four teams in the WNBA's overall Western Conference standings.

The Valkyries (6-3) defeated the Portland Fire 95-77 on Tuesday night while setting a franchise record by hitting 18 3-point attempts.

Kayla Thornton sank five 3-pointers, one of eight Valkyries to make at least one shot from beyond the arc. She tied her season high with 19 points while Janelle Salaun came off the bench to add 18 points and three 3-pointers.

"I think when our defense kind of creates transition, then we can flow into these open threes because it's hard to match up to us when we're maintaining space," said Golden State coach Natalie Nakase. "I think our offensive rebounds also generate open threes because it's very similar to transition defense when you're matching up."

Thornton led Golden State with eight rebounds and Cecilia Zandalasini had four of the Valkyries' nine steals against Portland.

Minnesota (7-2), which boasts the league's best record, increased its winning streak to five games with a 111-77 rout of the Phoenix Mercury on Monday night. The 34-point margin ranks as the largest in the WNBA this season.

Courtney Williams scored a team-high 30 points, her most with the Lynx, while shooting 13-for-20 from the floor and making all three of her shots from 3-point range.

Rookie Olivia Miles, her backcourt partner, added 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Miles also delivered 10 assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Williams has relinquished most of the ball-handling duties to Miles after both competed to fill the point guard spot in preseason drills.

"She's one of the best chemistry players," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said of Williams. "Anybody that's ever played with her will say she's one of the best teammates they ever had."

Williams leads Minnesota in scoring with 17.8 points per game while Miles averages 15.8 points and 6.2 assists.

Their chemistry has helped Minnesota overcome the absence of All-Star forward Napheesa Collier, who underwent ankle surgery in March and is expected back on the court for workouts this month.

--Field Level Media