"When Cecilia Zandalasini's fading jumper from the right wing bounced off the back of the rim as the final buzzer sounded Wednesday night, the roar from the Ballhalla crowd momentarily turned into a sigh. As the visiting Minnesota Lynx celebrated what became a comeback victory for the ages to advance to the playoff semifinals, the Italian sharpshooter lay on the ground with her hands over her head deflated, defeated and in shock that the Valkyries' season ended right then and there."
"Then, her teammates pulled Zandalasini to her feet, wrapped her into an embrace and guided her to midcourt where the Valkyries huddled one last time. There, players gathered under the bright SAP Center lights some with tears in their eyes, others smiling through the heartbreak for one last embrace to share how proud they were of what they accomplished this season."
"We're the first expansion team to go this far. We basically just made history, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. I'm just so proud of them for just allowing me to push them past what they felt that they can do. That's not easy. A lot of people kind of like to stay put. They like to be stagnant. Not this team. This team. Don't"
Cecilia Zandalasini's final-second jumper missed, ending the Valkyries' season as the Minnesota Lynx completed a comeback to advance to the semifinals. Zandalasini lay stunned on the floor until teammates pulled her up, embraced her and led the team to a final midcourt huddle. Players gathered under SAP Center lights with tears and smiles, sharing pride in what they accomplished. Fans turned a sigh into loud chants of GSV. The Valkyries demonstrated determination, fearlessness and the ability of an expansion team to compete at the highest level in Year 1. Leadership emphasized pride and historic significance.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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