Valkyries complete sweep with overtime win
The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in overtime on Friday night at Michelob Ultra Arena, completing a 3-0 sweep of their best-of-five semifinal series and advancing to the WNBA Finals. The Valkyries, a second-year franchise that did not compete in the league two years ago, will open the Finals next Saturday, Oct. 17, at Chase Center against Atlanta. The Dream advanced earlier Friday by eliminating New York.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Kayla Thornton led Golden State with 18 points, and Gabby Williams scored 16, asserting herself down the stretch. A'ja Wilson, the freshly minted MVP, scored 21 for the Aces, who also got 18 points from Jackie Young and 17 from Chelsea Gray. Kiah Stokes recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Valkyries.[S1]
The game went to overtime after a dramatic finish in regulation. With the score tied 71-71, Williams missed a difficult driving layup with five seconds left, giving Las Vegas the final shot. Gray's potential game-winner at the buzzer rattled around the basket and bounced out. In overtime, Golden State outscored the Aces 16-6 to secure the victory.[S1]
Depth and defense power Golden State
Golden State's bench outscored Las Vegas's reserves 27-13. Head coach Natalie Nakase leaned on her team's depth, a style she described as a superpower and the team's standard. The Valkyries erased a six-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 69-69 with less than two minutes left. After Wilson missed a short jumper, Veronica Burton scored on an acrobatic driving layup with 1:12 remaining to put Golden State ahead by two. Las Vegas pulled even when Young scored on a layup with 27 seconds left.[S1]
Earlier, the Aces threatened to pull away, leading 47-36 early in the third quarter. The Valkyries responded with 17 consecutive points to momentarily take a six-point lead. Thornton hit a 3-pointer, Hayes followed with her own 3 and then drove past Wilson for a layup. Kaitlyn Chen did the same and then fed Stokes for an unlikely 3-pointer, her first of the playoffs.[S1]
Aces head coach Becky Hammon started 6-foot-7 Kalani Brown alongside the 6-4 Wilson to exploit a size advantage. Brown played more than 23 minutes in Game 2 and another 17-plus in Game 3 after seeing limited time earlier in the series. The Valkyries struggled at times against the two-big lineup, but their depth and defensive effort ultimately prevailed.[S1]
