Valkyries vs Lynx Preview, Prediction, Injuries, Lineups, Odds & Where to Watch – WNBA 2025 Commissioner's Cup (June 1)

The WNBA's 2025 Commissioner's Cup with start off the header. Notably, the second matchup of the day is between the fresh Golden State Valkyries, and the seasoned Minnesota Lynx. The latter are reigning champions of the tournament and have been unbeatable so far after the 2024 WNBA Finals. Under Cheryl Reeve, the squad is expected to register another win even under potential absence of Napheesa Collier.

The Golden State Valkyries have promised fans a thrilling showdown due to the competency that they have shown on the court. Especially their international stars like Cecilia Zandalasini and Janelle Salaun are stealing the highlight with their performance. With a double header lineup for the Comissioner's Cup first day, here is the preview for the Valkyries vs Lynx matchup.

Valkyries vs Lynx Match Preview

The Golden State Valkyries will host the Minnesota Lynx at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday, June 1, 2025. The game is expected to start at 5:30 PM ET. It is the first game of the 2025 Commissioner's Cup for both teams. The Lynx enter with a psychological advantage since they won the previous year's tournament. Even this season, they ar unbeatable to this very game and expected to perform with same consistency.

On the contrary, the Golden State Valkyries have gone through a path full of shockers. Somehow they seem to be in sync for now but against a consistent team like Lynx, things won't go easy. Moreover, it is their first experience of overall so they should aim for as much experience as possible and compete with their best. Here are the details about the upcoming matchup that will take place in California on Sunday.

Valkyries vs Lynx Injury Report

The injury report for the matchup between Valkyries and Lynx is expected to turn out the following way as per report from ESPN for the debut might matchup of the WNBA 2025 Commissioner's Cup.

Valkyries Injury Report

There is no report of any injury on the Golden State Valkyries side as of now.

Lynx Injury Report

• Napheesa Collier (Questionable): Collier, the team's MVP frontrunner, is dealing with a knee injury. Tha's why she is questionable for the game. Her potential absence would greatly impact the Lynx's scoring margin in the game.

Predicted Lineups

After carful consideration of injury status of the players, the Golden State Valkyries and Minnesota Lynx are expected to step in with the following lineups before the tipoff on June 1:

Valkyries Predicted Lineup

The Golden State Valkyries are expected to start with the following starting lineup in the upcoming game against the Lynx on June 1:

Lynx Predicted Lineup

For now, it might be safe to assume that Napheesa Collier will not be there to compete in the first game evening of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup. The only choice that Lynx have is to go under the supervision of Kayla and Courtney Williams.

Valkyries vs Lynx Players To Watch

The Minnesota Lynx are expected to charge with Kayla McBride in the offense during the Sunday evening matchup. She has been consistently scoring for the Lynx without any falter. On ther other hand, the Golden State Valkyries have international star Janelle Salaun who has been a surprise to the league. Therefore, we have discussed the expected star performers for the upcoming game on June 1:

Janelle Salaun (Golden State Valkyries)

In the last game against the reigning champions New York Liberty, Janelle Salaun dished out 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. This is the first time that she is playing in the league. Yet she averaged 13.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1 steals this season while playing for the Golden State Valkyries in four games. Before that, the French star was playing in Italy.

That's why she had not attended the training camp with the Valkyries with which she initially signed. Although she made herself available for the regular season games after returning from overseas.

Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx)

Kayla McBride is the ace of the Minnesota Lynx who recorded 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Phoenix Mercury in the previous game of the regular season. She has averaged 17.5 points, 2 rebounds, and 3.5 assist after she made her return to the squad. She just played two games and got her momentum for the season.

Last season, she tallied 15 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while playing for the Minnesota Lynx. Coming to shot accuracy, she has maintained 46.2% beyond the line shooting percentage with 42.1% field goal percentage.

Where to Watch Valkyries vs Lynx

The United States fans have the privilege of watching the game live through WNBA League Pass. This official channel for streaming has a seven-day free trial early on. But after that period, the viewers have to pay a subscription fee. Other than that, Prime Video is available as a streaming option for fans across the US and the UK to watch the game. ESPN+ is providing the same service as Prime Video, but is geographically limited to the United States.

The locals can watch the broadcast of the game between the Valkyries and the Lynx on TV channels like KPIX+ 44, KMAX 31, and FanDuel Sports Network - North, as per the WNBA.

Caution: Some websites may offer free streams of the game. However, these are often unofficial and may not provide reliable quality. We do not endorse or promote unofficial streaming websites.

Valkyries vs Lynx Prediction: Who will win?

The Minnesota Lynx have dominated the WNBA competition so far and won all the six regular season games that they played in the 2025. It is the previous year finalists who are showing absolute domination in the league with 100% winning percentage. On the other hand, the Golden State Valkyries have maintained a winning percentage of 40% in their debut season. Janelle Salaun, the 6'2" power forward from the France has taken the league by storm after she returned from Italy.

In the last game against the New York Liberty, Salaun fought a hard battle tallying 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. Even a single rebounder from Liberty's end could not surpass the 10 rebound mark. On the other hand, Minnesota Lynx have designated its respective roles to the players. Forward Jessica Shepard tallied 8 points and 10 rebounds against Phoenix Mercury in the previous game. A key part of the Lynx, Napheesa Collier missed the last game due to her knee injury. She recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in the second last matchup against the Seattle Storm.

For the previous season performance, the Lynx went 14-6 in the Western Conference last season. Even now, they are the top of the table. Therefore, Lynx are expected to win the upcoming game against Valkyries.

Prediction:

The Minnesota Lynx seems favored by 10 points to win the matchup by a score line of 74-80.

Valkyries vs Lynx Betting Odds

The Minnesota Lynx are expected to go with the 6.5 points in terms of betting odds. The Valkyries do have a home court advantage but the only chance they have is in the absence of Napheesa Collier. If Collier returns to the team, the Lynx are expected to win the game with a greater margin than 10 points. So keep your eyes open for last minutes changes in the Minnesota Lynx because it will change the equation of the game and its outcomes.

• Odds: Minnesota Lynx -6.5
• Over/Under: 155.5
• Money Line: Lynx -185 | Valkyries +160