WNBA semifinals are set: How the Valkyries beat the Wings to advance
WNBA semifinals are set: How the Valkyries beat the Wings to advance --> Skip to main content Skip to navigation MenuESPN scores NFLNCAAFMLBNBASoccerWNBANHLMore SportsBoxingNCAACricketF1FIBAGamingGolfHorseLLWSMMANASCARNLLNBA G LeagueNBA Summer LeagueNCAAMNCAAWNWSLOlympicsPLLRacingRN BBRN FBRugbyBananasSports BettingTennisTGLUFLMen's World CupWWEProfessional WrestlingEditionsWhere to WatchFantasyWatch WNBAHomeScoresScheduleStandingsStatsTeamsWNBA PlayoffsOddsFIBA Women's World CupInjuriesFantasy Women's BasketballWhere To WatchTransactionsBPITickets WNBA semifinals are set: How the Valkyries beat the Wings to advanceDallas Wings7hKendra Andrews'Big shot Gabby' leads Valkyries' charge from 16 down, ousts Wings in Game 3Golden State Valkyries7hKendra AndrewsValkyries say Nakase OK after collapsing, not expected to miss timeGolden State Valkyries5hWilson leaves fan drama on 'back burner,' drops 36 points as Aces oust FeverLas Vegas Aces1dMichael VoepelFever 'hurt' with playoff exit to Aces, find positives with seasonIndiana Fever1dKareem CopelandSource: No discipline for Aces' Wilson over fan confrontationLas Vegas Aces2dReese wins WNBA Defensive Player of Year award after historic seasonAtlanta Dream2dKendra AndrewsWNBA offseason 2026: What's next for Dallas?Portland Fire8hESPNDefending champs are back in the semifinals: How the Aces eliminated the FeverIndiana Fever1dESPN2026 WNBA playoffs: Schedule, scores for every gameAtlanta Dream7hESPNWNBA playoffs 2026: How the Valkyries advanced to their first semifinalsplayKaila Charles swishes a big 3 for the Valkyries (0:13) The WNBA semifinals are set. The No. 2 Golden State Valkyries are the highest remaining seed after beating the No. 7 Dallas Wings on Friday at Chase Center to set up the semifinals. The Valkyries -- who won the franchise's first playoff series -- will host the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces, the reigning WNBA champions, on Sunday in Game 1 of their best-of-five semifinals. The No. 4 Atlanta Dream will host the No. 8 New York Liberty on Sunday in the other semifinal matchup. Golden State, an expansion team last season, rallied to overcome a 16-point deficit to eliminate Dallas. Here's how the Valkyries did it -- and what the result means for both teams. How the game was won: After a career-high 36 points in Game 2, Gabby Williams finished with a team-high 19 in Game 3 -- and scored them when it mattered most. The Wings ended the first half and opened the third quarter on fire -- going on a 20-0 run that spanned the two quarters. Dallas built a 16-point lead at the midway point of the third period, but then Golden State made its run. The Valkyries went on a 14-4 surge over the final 4:54 of the third, cutting away at the lead to make it a five-point deficit to start the final quarter. Williams hit two massive 3-pointers in that run; then in the fourth she continued to hit big shots and make key stops. Tiffany Hayes added 18 points and Veronica Burton scored 16. The Valkyries' 16-point rally ties the fifth-largest comeback in a winner-take-all contest in WNBA playoff history. It's the largest since the Aces had a 16-point rally against the Sun in Game 5 of the 2020 WNBA semifinals. What it means for Golden State: The Valkyries are heading to the semifinals for the first time in franchise history and will face the Aces. It's a tall task, but Golden State has shown a gritty determination and level of fight all season -- that's what led it to have the league's best defense and earn the No. 2 seed. The Valkyries have one of the clearest identities in the way they rely on their defense, which limits opponents to 75.1 points per game -- the fewest in the league. Any time the Valkyries have a hot shooting night, they credit their defense. If they lose, they say it's because they weren't locked in enough on getting stops. Their defense will have their hands full against the Aces' big three of A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. But the Valkyries have defied the odds since they joined the league last season, and they will look to do it again in the semifinals. What it means for Dallas: Dallas' season is over, but this was a huge step forward for the franchise. Just one year ago, the Wings sat at the bottom of the WNBA standings; the year before that they were second to last, combining for just 19 wins in the two seasons. They rebuilt through consecutive No. 1 draft picks -- Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd -- had veteran presence from Ogunbowale and Alysha Clark, signed Most Improved Player Jessica Shepard and hired Jose Fernandez as head coach. They lost Fudd and Alanna Smith to injuries toward the end of the regular season, leaving them without key players, but they made this a series by tying it at 1 game apiece behind Ogunbowale's historic 45-point game Wednesday. Even though their season ended in the first round, it was a sign of growth.
Source: ESPN
This article has been carefully curated and reformatted for educational and informational purposes. Full credit goes to the original publisher.
📚 Visit more helpful articles on Joab Peters Blog
No comments