Neal: Natisha Hiedeman continues her tear to propel Lynx to Game 1 blowout of Valkyries

The Lynx trailed by 10 points in the first quarter of their playoff opener Sunday at Target Center. Alanna Smith picked up two early fouls. Courtney Williams was ineffective early.

The Golden State Valkyries were playing like the team they would like to emulate: the Lynx. Their ball movement was splendid. They made the extra pass. They buried three-pointers.

But the game turned in the second quarter. Williams spent the final 8 minutes, 25 seconds of it on the bench while Natisha Hiedeman was front and center as the Lynx turned up the intensity ... and blew the Valkyries out of the gym.

Hiedeman played the entire second quarter, scoring four points — two when she tipped in her own driving layup attempt — with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. The Lynx trailed by seven after one quarter but outscored Golden State by 36 points the rest of the way and eased to a 101-72 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three, first-round series vs. the Valkyries.

“One down,” Hiedeman said while walking off the court. “It’s a series.”

Napheesa Collier scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, and Kayla McBride added 17 points as the Lynx had five players in double figures. But Golden State, which plays host to Game 2 on Wednesday night in San Jose, Calif., is left wondering about what do about Hiedeman. She finished with 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting in her usual super sub role. Her plus-minus of plus-32 was the second highest in Lynx postseason history.

In her past three games against Golden State — coming within a nine-day span — Hiedeman is averaging 21.0 points a game and shooting 56.7% from the field (21-for-37).

“I think it’s more of a coincidence on the Valkyries’ part,” said Reeve, who passed Mike Thibault for the most combined regular-season and postseason victories in league history with 414.

“It’s just the time of year that she really kind of got to a different space, is playing at a different level. It just so happened that Golden State was a couple of those games.

“She changed the game today. She changed the game last time we played, and she’s just playing her best basketball of the season. She’s confident. Her decision-making in the pick-and-roll coverages. She’s doing a nice job freezing, you know, the post player a little bit about where to go. Just, you know, she seeks the paint well. Her play, particularly in the first half, was vital to us, kind of getting through that a little bit [of a] slower first quarter.”

Hiedeman has lifted her game, and the Lynx practically have two starting points guards in Hiedeman and Williams, who will share the backcourt for stretches. On Sunday, Williams watched from the bench as Hiedeman was part of a unit that outscored the Valkyries 26-12 in the second quarter and never looked back.

Valkyries, it’s not who you play, but when you play them. And you have caught Hiedeman at the wrong time.

“I think she is on a heater right now, the last five games,” McBride said. “She’s one of those people who has been with Finals-contending teams.”

Hiedeman, 28, appeared in 37 postseason games, starting 19, with Connecticut. That includes WNBA Finals appearances in 2019 and ’22. This season, she shot 49.3% from the field, by far the best of her career. And her 9.1 points per game matched her best season in Connecticut, in 2022.

“She knows who she is as a pro,” McBride said. “And throughout the season, you just see her kind of continue to evolve. And now when we need her the most, she is showing up and having a lot of fun and playing with a lot of confidence in the second group.”

BOXSCORE: Lynx 101, Golden State 72

That second group includes forward Jessica Shepard, who combined with Hiedeman to score 15 points in the first half. That was 15 more first-half points than the Valkyries bench. DiJonai Carrington is also a key reserve, and the announced crowd of 8,821 erupted with cheers when the guard entered in the third quarter after she missed the final four regular-season games because of a left shoulder injury.

Hiedeman might be the best backup point guard in the league and should earn some votes for Sixth Player of the Year.