Why Cecilia Zandalasini has been Valkyries' X-factor in postseason pursuit

San Francisco Chronicle​

3 days ago

WASHINGTON — Ever since Kayla Thornton suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-July, the Golden State Valkyries have sought to replace her scoring.
Over the past three games as the starting small forward, Zandalasini has averaged 12.7 points, third on the team behind season-long starters Janelle Salaün and Tiffany Hayes. In those games, Zandalasini is shooting 44.8% and leading the team with 2.7 made 3-pointers per game. In the team's past three wins, she's averaging 16.3 points and hitting 52.6% from deep. In the past two victories alone, she has gone 7-for-14 from beyond the arc.
Zandalasini's game-winner in Atlanta on July 29 gave the Valkyries a needed lift after starting a five-game road trip with a 31-point loss to Connecticut. In another critical contest on Saturday, she scored 14 points in a win over Los Angeles. On Monday against the Sun, Zandalasini tallied 17 points, one off her career high.
'When she was available in the expansion draft, I jumped for joy. You don't understand how excited I was to get Cecilia,' head coach Natalie Nakase said. 'If you watch Ceci's shot, it's one of the most beautiful shots. She has a beautiful release. She never hesitates. She has confidence that's unreal.'
In the nine games since the injury to Thornton — whose averages of 14 points and seven rebounds per game are team highs — Zandalasini's scoring average (11 ppg) ranks behind only Salaün's 11.3. Zandalasini's 47.9% shooting also ranks second among players with at least five appearances in that span.
Zandalasini has long been known as a reliable 3-point shooter off the bench, and that had mostly been her role with Golden State until Thornton's injury.
After two seasons with Minnesota from 2017-18, she spent five years playing overseas and returned to the Lynx in 2024. Last season she ranked sixth in the league in 3-point percentage at 44.3% for the WNBA Finals runners-up.
'Ceci is one of the most steady players I think I've ever played with,' point guard Veronica Burton said. 'Just her ability to come out and be so unfazed, whether she's hit the last three 3s or missed the first three, she's just ready to take the next one. When she gets us going, it just again spaces the floor. You have to respect her.'
This season, not only is Zandalasini doing more, but more is being asked of her. According to analytics program Synergy, just 50.6% of her shots have been off a catch-and-shoot, compared to 69.2% last season with the Lynx.
She's also facing tighter defense, with 62.8% of her attempts coming against defenders, up from 55.6% last season. Nearly half of her shots this season (48.2%) have come off the dribble, a sharp rise from 30.8% a year ago in Minnesota.
'We want her reading defenses, that's when she's at her best,' assistant coach Kasib Powell told the Chronicle. 'We like putting her in positions where she can make those decisions.'
Zandalasini's 23.4 minutes per contest are the most in her career by a good margin. She missed time this year due to injuries, including two separate foot issues, and playing in EuroBasket in June, which prevented her from getting into a consistent rhythm.
The Valkyries are 5-9 with Zandalasini in the lineup, but 4-2 with her since June 25, when she's played her best this season. Her consistency will be key to their playoff push.
'She's always been a sniper,' Nakase said. 'I remember, because I had the scout, and she knocked down three 3s against us last year in Vegas. So she's always been like this.'