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SAN FRANCISCO – The first sentence that Veronica Burton uttered at the podium after the Golden State Valkyries' tough 77-66 loss to the Minnesota Lynx was a variation on the ones we’ve heard the Valkyries say over and over again over the last month. “We can't come out and expect to win any game against the Minnesota Lynx when we don't play a full game and when we don't play the full game to the hardest of our ability and with the focus that we need to,” Burton said. “So we weren't going to win that game with even just how we started off.” Golden State had warned us they had problems. Their habit of slow starts? Coach Natalie Nakase has harped on that point for the past few weeks. Their inability to put together a full four quarters of high-intensity, all-around basketball? Basically, a free space on a “Nakase post-game press conference sayings” bingo card as of late. But they were winning. So the self-critiques felt nitpicky, and the quest for perfection seemed like a method to prevent them from getting complacent. In reality, the Valkyries’ self-identified canaries in the coal mine were substantiated. And the Lynx were the ones to put those canaries on full display in front of a national audience. Whether it was Minnesota jumping out to a 35-18 lead with 4:17 left in the first half, with the Golden State 6-of-28 at that point, or Olivia Miles dismantling them in style on her way to 20 points and seven assists on 8-of-10 shooting, the Lynx magnified the issues that remind us the 25-10 Valkyries are beatable. “I got to figure it out just because it's unacceptable. It's unacceptable against a team like Minnesota,” Nakase said, pointing to the Lynx's greater sense of urgency. “We did not play defense in the first half. There was no ball pressure. We were late in the pick-and-roll; we decided not to box out, we decided not to try to create any deflections and steals. It's really unfortunate because then they felt at ease. They didn't feel tight at all. We didn't make them feel tight. I thought Ballhalla did. I thought Ballhalla actually had more energy than us. We just have to figure that out and what it takes. We can't get punched in the face first and respond.” Golden State's missed opportunities And while Golden State came roaring back in the second half, going on a loud 17-2 run from the 5:53 mark in the third to the 8:18 mark in the fourth to cut the 22-point deficit down to seven, the Valkyries couldn’t make the Lynx feel “tight.” Lynx’ wing Kayla McBride hit dagger after dagger to keep the Valkyries at bay, and even when the windows of opportunity made themselves apparent, Golden State couldn’t capitalize. In the sequence of the night, around the 6:19 mark of the fourth, Gabby Williams missed a wide-open catch-and-shoot three that would have cut the deficit to a two-possession game. Less than 10 seconds later, Miles yanked back a nasty behind-the-back that sent Janelle Salaun stumbling before stepping back and burying a three-ball in the Valkyries' faces to take a 12-point lead. But while the Valkyries’ self-critiques were harsh, and Nakase’s words were pointed, the sentiment post-game wasn’t defeat. There was emotion, yes, and certainly the beginnings of tough conversations being broached. But not exactly frustration, at least according to Nakase. And given Hayes’ tone, Golden State remains confident in their ability to bounce back from this high-profile loss. “Like I said at the end [of the game], that's probably the worst that they're ever going to see us,” Hayes said. “Bad shooting night, a lot of good looks just didn't go in, but at the end of the day, like [Burton] said, we had to put a full four quarters together playing against the number one team. We definitely learned from that, not hanging our heads, and we definitely fought hard and fought back.” A sense of urgency for the Valkyries Still, it leaves Golden State with a wake-up call. The Lynx squeezed the life out of a Valkyries offense that was already heavily reliant on three-point variance, taking away transition opportunities and high-percentage looks at the rim. And between Miles, McBride, and Napheesa Collier, Golden State's league-best defense had few answers for Minnesota's three-headed hydra. Not to mention that they are now 0-9 against the Lynx, having never beaten them once in their two year-existence. But beyond just exposing what potential X's and O's nightmares they may face in a potential playoff series against Minnesota, this loss is a wake-up call in the literal sense. When everything is going smoothly, and the wins are coming in droves, it’s easy to let human nature take over and ease up on the gas pedal. And as we know, they’re well aware of it. Nakase recounted how, in training camp, she had every player write down what they know they can do to impact winning when their shot is not falling. The Valkyries still have those lists, all 14 of them, because that’s the standard of awareness and accountability they hold themselves to. And in this loss, they didn’t uphold that list. Some of them did, Nakase said, but some of them didn’t. For the second-year head coach, she believes those shortcomings fall on her. “I need to figure out how to push the players that didn't show up,” Nakase said, voice rising. “I got to get into them– I got to have conversations with them more than you know. This is it. I understand kind of the reality of the outside noise with it. But for me, I got to internally figure out my players. I can't blame the whole fact that we haven't beaten Minnesota. I got to do a better job of what I can pull from them. And especially our start. I'm super frustrated with our start, and I have to, again, have conversations. And I really hope over the next 48 hours before Chicago, they really open up, and they tell me what they want.” Nakase will give her players time to digest the emotions of this loss; she said she’s learned right after the game is sometimes not the best time to press them on the shortcomings. Some of these things, she wants the players to figure out in their conversations with each other. However, if you ask Burton what she believes the Valkyries need, it’s urgency. “There's a mental focus and a competitiveness that needs to come out,” Burton said. “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 22 at one point and expect to win this game. When the floor general speaks, the rest of the Valkyries have a habit of listening. They will get the chance to put those words into practice against the Lynx again next Monday. “So it's pouring into each other, pouring into the game from the get-go. Because we're also setting up our second unit for a tough task when they come in. We can't rely on them to just pick us up every single week; we’ve got to start doing it from the jump.”