Valkyries Complete Sweep of Defending Champions
Gabby Williams scored eight points in overtime as the Golden State Valkyries finished a three-game sweep of the defending champion Las Vegas Aces with an 87-77 road victory on Friday, sending the second-year expansion franchise to the WNBA Finals. After a late fourth-quarter run forced overtime, Golden State outscored Las Vegas 16-6 in the extra period to close out the series.[S2]
Trailing 69-63, the Valkyries used an 8-0 burst to take a 71-69 lead on a Veronica Burton basket with 1:12 left in regulation. Las Vegas tied the game at 71 on a Jackie Young lay-in assisted by Chelsea Gray with 26.6 seconds remaining. Williams missed a layup with five seconds left, and Gray's 15-foot attempt at the buzzer rimmed out. Golden State opened overtime with a 12-2 run, including eight points from Williams, to lead 83-73 with 46.9 seconds to go.[S2]
Kayla Thornton led the Valkyries with 18 points and nine rebounds, making 5 of 12 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Williams added 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, while Hayes and Kiah Stokes each scored 11. Stokes went 5-for-5 from the field, grabbed 10 rebounds and defended Aces star A'ja Wilson effectively. Wilson, who won a record fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player award this week, paced Las Vegas with 21 points and 10 rebounds but shot just 6-for-19. Young scored 18 on 6-of-16 shooting, and Gray added 17 points and a team-high five assists while committing a game-high six turnovers.[S2]
Dream Reach First Finals Since 2013
The Atlanta Dream clinched their Finals berth with an 85-83 road win over the New York Liberty on Friday, completing a three-game sweep. It is Atlanta's first trip to the Finals since 2013. The Dream previously reached the championship round in 2010, 2011 and 2013 but were swept each time. This roster is different, featuring stars including Angel Reese, Canada, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray.[S1]
Gray, Atlanta's leading scorer, injured her left hand in the semifinals opener and missed the next two games. The week off before the Finals begins will be significant for her recovery. The Dream also added veteran DeWanna Bonner late in the season, a move that has proven valuable given her playoff experience.[S1]
Finals Preview and Team Profiles
The best-of-seven WNBA Finals begin Saturday, Oct. 17, in San Francisco, with both teams having a week off beforehand. The second-seeded Valkyries led the league in attendance, which helped them achieve the best home record this season. Golden State has been built around 3-point shooting, a solid set of reserves and defense. In free agency this offseason, the team signed Gabby Williams, who has been one of the league's best players on both ends of the court. Williams raised her postseason scoring average to 22.7 points from 14.4 in the regular season.[S1]
Offense may be hard to come by for both teams as they are two of the best defensive squads in the league. Golden State won all three regular-season meetings with Atlanta, the last coming on July 4. The Valkyries became the quickest WNBA expansion franchise to reach the Finals since the league began 30 years ago, topping the Dream, who did it in their third year. Golden State owner Joe Lacob proclaimed when he bought the expansion franchise that his team would win a championship within its first five years. The Valkyries are now one step away from achieving that mandate ahead of schedule.[S1]
