Valkyries Sweep Aces With Overtime 87-77 Win, Reach WNBA Finals Against Dream/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in overtime Friday, completing a three-game sweep of the defending champions. Golden State became the quickest expansion franchise to reach the WNBA Finals, accomplishing the feat in its second season. The second-seeded Valkyries will host the fourth-seeded Atlanta Dream when the championship series begins Oct. 17.
during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas.(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Quick Look
- Final score: Golden State beat Las Vegas 87-77 in overtime.
- Historic achievement: The Valkyries reached the WNBA Finals in their second season.
- Leading scorers: Kayla Thornton scored 18 points, while Gabby Williams added 16.
- Overtime difference: Golden State outscored Las Vegas 16-6 in the extra period.
- Finals opponent: Atlanta advanced by sweeping New York.
- Series opener: The Valkyries will have home-court advantage beginning Oct. 17.
- Aces eliminated: Las Vegas suffered its first playoff sweep under coach Becky Hammon.
Deep Look
Valkyries Reach WNBA Finals With Overtime Sweep of Aces
LAS VEGAS — The Golden State Valkyries continued their rapid rise Friday night, defeating the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in overtime to complete a three-game playoff sweep.
After becoming the first expansion franchise to qualify for the playoffs last season, Golden State reached another milestone in its second year: becoming the quickest expansion team to advance to the WNBA Finals.
Kayla Thornton led the Valkyries with 18 points. Gabby Williams contributed 16, including eight during a decisive overtime performance.
“It feels special because this is a special group,” Williams said. “We’re about to have some bandwagoners, but we ain’t got no love all season. Nobody believed in us, but it made us smile because we were like, ‘All we need is each other.’”
Golden State Will Host Atlanta in Championship Series
The second-seeded Valkyries will have home-court advantage against the fourth-seeded Atlanta Dream, with the Finals scheduled to begin Oct. 17.
Atlanta completed its own sweep of New York earlier Friday.
Following those results, teams taking a 2-0 series lead improved to 22-0 in WNBA playoff history.
Aces Fall Short of Their Championship Standard
Las Vegas entered the postseason having won three of the previous four WNBA titles.
Friday’s defeat marked the first time a Becky Hammon-coached Aces team had been swept in the playoffs.
The franchise’s previous playoff sweep occurred in the 2020 Finals, when Bill Laimbeer’s Las Vegas team lost all three games to Seattle.
Aces star A’ja Wilson acknowledged the disappointment while emphasizing the team’s accomplishments.
“I’m going to try to show up and uphold that (championship) standard every single opportunity I get because, hell, we created it,” Wilson said. “I feel like every year for us is championship or bust. So it’s a bust year for us, but at the same time, I’m never going to lose sight of what we’ve done to this league and how we continue to uplift it.”
Former Aces Help Golden State Eliminate Las Vegas
Several figures with Las Vegas connections played important roles in Golden State’s victory.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase previously worked as an Aces assistant under Hammon. Former Las Vegas players Kiah Stokes and Tiffany Hayes each scored 11 points for Golden State, with Stokes adding 10 rebounds.
Nakase described the emotional challenge of facing people she still considers close.
“I actually tried to walk through the tunnel with my head down because there are so many people I consider family,” Nakase said. “Obviously, Becky. She hired me. She’s the one who invited me into the W. The years I spent with her, I knew I was going to learn a lot.”
Her experience with Las Vegas also gave her familiarity with the opponent as Golden State secured its Finals berth.
Wilson Reaches Postseason Milestone Despite Shooting Struggles
Wilson was honored before the game for winning an unprecedented fifth MVP award.
She finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds but shot 6 for 19 from the field.
Wilson joined DeWanna Bonner as the only players to reach both 1,300 points and 600 rebounds in WNBA postseason play.
Jackie Young scored 18 points for Las Vegas, and Chelsea Gray added 17.
Valkyries Rally Late to Force Overtime
Golden State used a 17-point scoring run to move ahead 53-47 in the third quarter.
Las Vegas narrowed the deficit to one point by the end of the period, despite scoring only seven points in the quarter.
The Aces later built a six-point lead late in regulation, but the Valkyries fought back.
Williams stole the ball from Wilson, and Thornton converted a transition layup to tie the game at 69 with 1:50 remaining.
Veronica Burton then put Golden State ahead with a 9-foot floater with 1:12 left.
Las Vegas answered when Gray found Young on an inbound pass for the tying basket with 27 seconds remaining, helping send the game into overtime.
The Valkyries dominated overtime, outscoring the Aces 16-6.
Williams supplied half of Golden State’s overtime points as the visitors finished the sweep and secured their first trip to the WNBA Finals.
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