The Golden State Valkyries have been one of the most impressive teams in the league this season. They just became the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their first two WNBA seasons with a 25-10 record. However, their otherwise outstanding late-season run took a concerning turn on August 19, when a key player was forced to leave the game due to an unfortunate injury.

As beat reporter Kenzo Fukuda noted, key player Kaila Charles had to exit the game early against the Minnesota Lynx, before the Valkyries released their official statement through the team’s PR.

“Per Valkyries PR: Kaila Charles sustained a hit to the eye and exited tonight’s game in the fourth quarter. Charles is out for the remainder of the game,” Fukuda posted on X.

No further details are available on the nature of Charles’ injury or how long she might be sidelined for. Still, with the Valkyries having already secured a spot in the playoffs, she has significant time to rest and get ready before the postseason rolls around.

Charles had become a solid part of head coach Natalie Nakase’s rotation, playing 19.7 minutes per game, appearing in each of the team’s games this season, as well as starting eight games. Her box-score contribution has been crucial for the Valkyries, especially in creating scoring chances with 4.3 rebounds per game.

However, she struggled against the Lynx, finishing with just three boards and missing her only shot attempt of the night. Her time with Golden State began last season, when she came in as an injury replacement on a hardship contract and was eventually signed for the rest of the season.

“She got to us and probably thought she wasn’t going to play… And she came in and did exactly what we needed… She has continued to grow and blossom with this group,” Valkyries assistant coach Landon Tatum told IX Sports on August 19.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only player who was injured during the game. Olivia Miles, the Lynx’s standout rookie, was helped off the floor after stepping on Napheesa Collier’s foot, appearing to suffer an ankle injury.

The Lynx’s Olivia Miles logged 20 points and seven assists as Minnesota defeated Golden State 77-66. Meanwhile, the loss against the Lynx may have been a wake-up call for the Golden State Valkyries.

Veronica Burton challenges Golden State Valkyries to fix their mental approach before it’s too late

The team struggled out of the gate, hitting only 5-of-27 from the field on their way to losing their six-game winning streak. The loss is particularly notable because the Valkyries have never won against the Lynx, with their latest loss taking that head-to-head losing record to 0-9.

After the game, guard Veronica Burton was harsh about their slow starts, and reporter Kenzo Fukuda posted about her post-game statement.

“There’s like a mental focus and a competitiveness that needs to come out. And yes, they hit some great shots, they hit some tough shots, but we can’t afford to keep saying the same thing about our starts.”

“This is a really important game. We know that, so we need to act like it when we come out, and hold each other accountable. And we will, but it’s just a sense of urgency from before the game even starts, because we can’t get down at 22 and expect to win.”

The guard stressed that the circumstances surrounding the game should’ve made the urgency to win obvious for the team, and despite playing hard in pockets later on, that early slump was too much for them to overcome. It also doesn’t help that the Valkyries shot just 7-of-37 from three, and that the team’s leading scorer, forward Gabby Williams, was held to just 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting.

Meanwhile, the Lynx came out blistering hot. Apart from Miles, who scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, they also saw Kayla McBride score 20, and Napheesa Collier added 18 points and eight rebounds. They can all but guarantee the #1 seed if they can clinch the season series by beating the Valkyries on August 24, when the teams next face each other.

For now, all Golden State can do is take the loss on the chin and hope to bounce back when they visit the Chicago Sky on August 21.