The Valkyries are playoff-bound: Bracket, game times, tickets, and more

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The Golden State Valkyries’ storybook season has more pages in it, but they'll have a tough time writing the perfect ending.

By losing to the Minnesota Lynx in their regular-season finale, the Valkyries will enter the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. A rematch with the Lynx — the most dominant team in the league, and one that beat the Valkyries in all four matchups this season — awaits in Game 1 of a best-of-three series on Sunday.

The Valkyries and Lynx will meet in a 10 a.m. PT matinee as their matchup is the first of four WNBA playoff games on the Sunday slate.

"I'm glad, as ironic as that sounds, but playing somebody now and then having a good look, it's not like we have to completely change a ton of things and completely embrace and learn about a new team," coach Natalie Nakase told reporters postgame on Thursday. "So I'm taking this as a positive, and we get to stay here.”

Game 2 will take place on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at SAP Center in San José instead of Chase Center due to a scheduling conflict with the Laver Cup, a tennis tournament.

The Valkyries are the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season in WNBA history. 

With a roster full of players left unprotected in the expansion draft by their prior teams, international free agents, and a couple of veterans, the Valkyries finished the season 23-21.

Golden State withstood injuries to All-Star Kayla Thornton and Tiffany Hayes — among other rotation pieces — and put together piecemeal lineups when much of their team departed midseason for Eurobasket. Veronica Burton, a contender for the Most Improved Player Award, blossomed at point guard while young players such as Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite stepped up in the second half.

Nakase's team also finished the year with the fourth-ranked defense in the WNBA.

Here's everything you need to know about what's ahead for the Valkyries.

The first round of the WNBA playoffs consists of best-of-three series. The higher-seeded team will host the first game of the series and the last (if applicable).

For the Valkyries, that means they'll remain in Minnesota for Game 1 before returning to the Bay for Game 2. Because of the Laver Cup occupying Chase Center, Golden State will host Game 2 at the SAP Center in San Jose.

The semifinal round is best-of-five and the championship is a best-of-seven.

Fans can get tickets for Game 1 in Minnesota on sites like Stubhub, but the arena is already almost sold-out. The cheapest available seats, as of the final horn of the regular-season finale, are selling for $82.

Tickets for Game 2 in San Jose will eventually be made available on the Valkyries' official website, but some are already appearing on the secondary market. As of 9 p.m. PT on Thursday evening, the cheapest ticket available on SeatGeek was $190.

A pair of tickets behind a team bench at SAP Center was on the market for $1,359 for each seat.

Local broadcasters Morgan Ragan, Kevin Danna, Zena Keita, and Matt Lively’s seasons are done, as all playoff games are broadcast either on ESPN, ESPN2, or ABC.

Both Games 1 and 2 of the series will air on ESPN.

If the Valkyries and Lynx meet in a winner-take-all Game 3, that matchup will take place on Friday in Minnesota and air on ESPN2. No time has been announced for a potential Game 3.

Golden State entered the final week of the regular season with a 23-19 record and could've risen as high as sixth in the standings.

But a brutal, last-minute loss at Seattle made the regular season finale in Minnesota a must-win to avoid the eight-seed. The Lynx have been the most dominant team in the league all season and, despite already having wrapped up the top overall seed, played their starters in the finale.

The Valkyries kept it close but Minnesota pulled away in the fourth quarter by repeatedly turning Golden State over. MVP favorite Napheesa Collier finished with 19 points.

Golden State finished with a 23-21 record, which is the same mark as the No. 7-seeded Seattle Storm. The teams split their season series 2-2, but because Nakase's team had a worse overall record against teams above .500, the Storm earned the higher seed.

So the Valkyries will extend their trip in Minneapolis.