Semis Game Recap

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Game Recap: Lynx vs. Mercury (9/28/25)

Semis Top Plays

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Top Plays of the Day, 9/28/25

AP Recap

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier scored 20 points to lead five players in double figures and the Minnesota Lynx breezed to a 101-72 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-three first-round WNBA series.
Collier hit 7 of 11 shots with a 3-pointer and all five of her free throws, adding six rebounds.
Natisha Hiedeman made two 3-pointers and scored 18 for the Lynx, while Kayla McBride added 17. Jessica Shepard had 12 points and eight rebounds and Courtney Williams pitched in with 11 points and four steals.
Veronica Burton and Cecilia Zandalasini both scored 14 to lead Golden State. Burton added seven assists and three steals but also had seven of the Valkyries’ 16 turnovers. Janelle Salaün had 13 points and eight rebounds and Temi Fágbénlé scored 12 before fouling out.
Burton hit two 3-pointers for Golden State in an 11-4 run to start the game and the Valkyries led 28-21 after one quarter.
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<div id="93avfqg34d8" class="fs-feed-ad" data-freestar-ad="__336x280 __336x280" data-google-query-id="CPiJ8pW22Y8DFSkHTwgdvMIFlw">McBride had two baskets in a 12-3 run to begin the second period and Minnesota moved in front 33-31. McBride had 14 points by halftime and Collier scored 11 for a 47-39 lead.</div>
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Alanna Smith hit a 3-pointer with 8:47 left in the third quarter for a 52-42 advantage and Minnesota led by double digits the rest of the way. DiJonai Carrington sank two 3-pointers and Williams hit one in the final 70 seconds as the Lynx took a 79-58 lead into the final period.
The Valkyries are still looking for their first win over the Lynx in their first year in the league after losing all four regular-season matchups — three by double digits.
Minnesota’s 34-10 record led the league. Golden State will host Game 2 on Wednesday.
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Game Recap: Golden State Valkyries vs. Minnesota Lynx (First Round, Game 1)

Top Plays

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Top Plays of the Day, 9/11/25

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Top Plays of the Day, 09/11/2025

Game Preview/Recap

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Game Recap: Valkyries vs. Lynx (9/11/25)

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Jessica Shepard Posts 11 points & 14 rebounds vs. Golden State Valkyries

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Minnesota Lynx vs. Golden State Valkyries - Game Highlights

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Jessica Shepard with 16 Points vs. Indiana Fever

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Game Recap: Lynx vs. Fever (9/9/25)

Latest

Jessica Shepard

Career Transactions
Signed to a three-year contract on Apr. 24, 2019… Chosen by Minnesota in the 2nd round (16th overall) of the 2019 WNBA Draft on Apr. 10.
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2021 SEASON
Returned for her second season in a Lynx uniform after missing nearly two full years due to injury… Saw action in 22 games off the bench, averaging 2.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.7 apg in 10.5 mpg while shooting 36.4% from the field and 75.0% from the line… Sidelined for four games (June 12-19) due to a strained right adductor muscle… Snared a team-high seven rebounds Sept. 10 vs. Indiana; she averaged 14.6 reb/40 in her last seven appearances… Pulled in a season-best eight rebounds Aug. 31 vs. New York; she dished a game-high six assists July 3 at Phoenix, tying her career best… Chipped in a career-high 12 points with six rebounds May 18 at New York.
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WNBA CAREER CAPSULE
2020: Missed the entire season while recovering from knee surgery… 2019: Her rookie season ended at six games after suffering a torn ACL in her right knee on June 8 vs. Los Angeles; she underwent surgery on June 20 and missed the final 28 contests… Averaged 4.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 3.5 apg in 18.7 mpg, shooting 37.9% from the floor… Sank her first three-pointer June 6 vs. Phoenix, finishing with seven points and six rebounds, and tallied a season-best 10 points May 29 vs. Seattle… Led Minnesota with 13 rebounds and six assists May 25 vs. Chicago, becoming just the third player to collect 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in her WNBA debut (Candace Parker, Damiris Dantas)… The 13 rebounds were also the most by any player in her WNBA debut since DeTrina White grabbed 13 for New York on May 21, 2004 at Indiana.
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INTERNATIONAL
2014: Member of USA Basketball&#8217;s gold-medal-winning entry at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship… Averaged 12.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg in five contests, shooting 66.7% (24-for-36) from the floor.
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COLLEGE
Finished fourth in Nebraska school history with 2,227 career points, despite missing a majority of her senior season… Holds the two highest single-season totals by a Class A player in state history with 780 points in 2014 and 664 points in 2013… Led Lincoln Southeast to a state title in 2013… As a junior, she averaged a Class A state record 30.4 points, along with 15.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists… tallied four 40+ point games including on career-high 46-point game… Studied Marketing while at the University of Nebraska… Named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in 2015 and 2016… Named to the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2016 and 2017.
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Personal
Born Sept. 11, 1996 in Fremont, Nebraska to Mark and Kim Shepard… She has one older brother and four sisters… Nickname is “Shep”…
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