Golden State moves within one win of the WNBA Finals after a dramatic 83-81 victory over the Las Vegas Aces.
The silence inside the arena lasted only a heartbeat after Kiah Stokes swatted Chelsea Gray’s layup attempt at the rim. With the ball secured by Veronica Burton and time slipping away, the realization took hold: the defending champions are staring at a 2-0 hole in the WNBA semifinals.
Wednesday night’s 83-81 win puts the Golden State Valkyries one victory away from a Finals appearance in just their second season. The franchise. which made history last year as the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season. now heads to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Friday with the Aces desperate to stave off elimination.
For three quarters, the Valkyries dictated the tempo, entering the final frame with a 66-55 lead. Tiffany Hayes anchored the offense with 21 points, while Gabby Williams added 20 points and five rebounds. Kayla Thornton contributed 16 points to the total. keeping the pressure on a Las Vegas squad that found its rhythm far too late.
Down the stretch, the game turned into a frantic scramble. Chelsea Gray’s jumper with 4:46 remaining trimmed the lead to 73-68. Dana Evans followed with a 3-pointer to pull within 74-71, and Gray hit another shot from distance to tie the game at 74-74 with 2:10 on the clock.
A shot-clock violation gave the ball back to the Valkyries with 1:01 to play. setting the stage for the night’s defining moment. Burton. who had not recorded a basket until that point. launched a deep 3-pointer with 41 seconds remaining to push Golden State ahead. She later added two free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win.
The final sequence left little room for error. After Jackie Young missed the second of two free throws with six seconds left, the Aces earned one final possession. Gray grabbed the rebound and drove under the basket. but Stokes rose to meet her. delivering the block that sent the series to Nevada with Las Vegas facing an early end to its repeat title aspirations. A’ja Wilson led the Aces’ effort with 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting along with seven rebounds. but it was not enough to overcome the deficit.
Coach Becky Hammon had emphasized the necessity of leaving San Francisco with a split. yet the reality of the locker room now centers on survival. The momentum has shifted decisively toward a Golden State team that has thrived in front of its home crowd. leaving the defending champions to reconcile with the math: they must win three straight to keep their season alive.
WNBA Valkyries Aces Veronica Burton Tiffany Hayes A’ja Wilson WNBA Playoffs basketball news