Lynx Make Heartfelt Gesture for Valkyries Guard
The Golden State Valkyries had a major test on the road Saturday night against the first place Minnesota Lynx. Despite a 23-point performance from guard Tiffany Hayes, and a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double for Kayla Thornton, the Valkyries' two-game win streak was halted in the 81-72 loss. However, Saturday's game was a special homecoming for another Valkyries player.
Valkyries guard Cecilia Zandalasini received a standing ovation at Target Center before Saturday’s game as the Minnesota crowd roared for their former player, who waved back with gratitude during player intros. The Valkyries picked Zandalasini from Minnesota's roster during the 2024 WNBA expansion draft.
In 2017, Zandalasini won a championship with the Lynx in her first WNBA season. She played in 29 games the next year, shooting 40% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. After six seasons in Europe, Zandalasini re-signed with Minnesota in 2024, coming off the bench en route to the team's Finals run.
always love for Ceci. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/pMUrlzRTOv
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 6, 2025
After playing four games this year for Golden State, The 6-foot-2 forward left the team for her international commitment to Italy, playing in Women’s Eurobasket 2025. She helped lead Italy to a third place finish, securing the nation’s first medal in the tournament since 1995. She played nine minutes and scored two points for Golden State in Saturday’s loss. It’s her first game action for the Valkyries since being reactivated on Monday.
Zandalasini is averaging a career-high 8.4 points per game this year for Golden State. The 29-year-old played four seasons before beginning her WNBA journey in 2017, and is now helping lead Golden State in its inaugural season.
Anwar Stetson is a Multimedia Sports Journalist from Los Angeles, California. He previously worked as a TV News Reporter for KRCR News Channel 7 in Chico, California--covering politics, local news, wildfires, crime, and high school football. As an Assistant Editor for Spectrum Sportsnet: Los Angeles, Anwar worked on award-winning programs Backstage:Lakers and Backstage:Dodgers, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the two franchises' most prominent athletes. Anwar is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received his Master's Degree in Specialized Journalism (Sports Emphasis) in 2019. He graduated from the University of California, Merced with a B.A. in English in 2016. In addition to Sports Illustrated, Anwar covers high school sports for Prep Network, and the WNBA for The Sporting Tribune.