“California is behind you all the way — good luck in Game 2 tomorrow!” said California Governor Gavin Newsom Tuesday evening. The Golden State Valkyries already had the attention of the WNBA world as the newest expansion team in the league’s history. Now, it has become the first expansion team to make the WNBA playoffs in its inaugural season. A few hours from now, the team will host the 4x WNBA champions Minnesota Lynx for a matchup that could make or break the team’s chances to go further into the postseason.

To ensure the Valkyries have the edge, they will need all of their players available and in their best condition. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case.

Golden State Valkyries vs Minnesota Lynx: Injury Report

According to the Golden State Valkyries Injury Report, as highlighted by ESPN, Tiffany Hayes is listed as ‘OUT’ for the upcoming game. Kayla Thornto will miss the remainder of the WNBA season after undergoing knee surgery.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lynx has no players listed on their report!

Golden State Valkyries vs Minnesota Lynx: Where to Watch

Game 2 will be held on Wednesday, September 17th, at the SAP Center.

The venue was shifted from the Valkyries and Golden State Warriors’ home turf, the Chase Center, due to a scheduling conflict. Golden State President and Chief Operating Officer Brandon Schneider defended the decision to host the tennis tournament instead of the WNBA playoff game, stating, “The Laver Cup is a global tennis tournament that we booked several months before we were awarded a WNBA team. There was no way to avoid this. This is a 12-, 13-day thing. If it was a concert, you would say, ‘OK, move the concert.’ But that clearly is not an option with this.”

Tip-off time is scheduled for 9:00 PM CT/10:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM PT. Basketball fans can view the game on ESPN or live-stream it from the WNBA app.

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Probable Starting Lineups

Minnesota Lynx

Head coach: Cheryl Reeve

Players:

Bridget Carleton

Alanna Smith

Courtney Williams

Kayla McBride

Napheesa Collier

Golden State Valkyries starting lineup

Head Coach: Natalie Nakase

Players:

Kaila Charles

Iliana Rupert

Janelle Salaun

Temi Fagbenle

Veronica Burton

Prediction: Can the Valkyries Win

SCGG Management currently predicts +10.5 odds for the Valkyries. The Associated Press also gives favor to the Minnesota Lynx, as they place their predicted score as: Minnesota Lynx 82, Golden State Valkyries 77. Game 1 was won by the Lynx through a 101-72 score, aka a 29-point margin. To turn the odds in their favor, the Valkyries will need their second unit to play much better.

Golden State Valkyries or the Minnesota Lynx? Who will you be rooting for? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.