The Golden State Valkyries have surged into the WNBA Finals in spectacular fashion, completing a dominant three-game sweep of the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night. In a gritty overtime thriller at Michelob ULTRA Arena, the Valkyries secured an 87-77 victory to punch their ticket to the championship round. It is a meteoric rise for a franchise only in its second year of existence, moving from a first-round exit last season to the brink of basketball glory.
The road to victory was far from easy, as Golden State spent much of the evening fighting uphill. Trailing by double digits early in the second half, the Valkyries ignited a stunning 17-0 run in the third quarter to seize their first lead of the game. While A’ja Wilson fought hard for Las Vegas with 21 points and 10 rebounds, she could not stave off a late Golden State surge that forced overtime. Once the game hit the extra period, Gabby Williams took over, scoring eight of her 16 points during a defensive lockdown that saw the Valkyries outscore the Aces 16-6. Kayla Thornton provided critical support throughout the night, finishing with 18 points and nine rebounds alongside Kiah Stokes’ double-double.
Now, Golden State prepares for a collision course with the Atlanta Dream, who also advanced via a sweep after dismantling the New York Liberty. History favors the Valkyries heading into this matchup, as they swept every regular-season meeting against Atlanta in a tight window last summer. With home court advantage locked in, Game 1 tips off Saturday afternoon on October 17 at Chase Center.
Fans are already preparing to pack what has been dubbed Ballhalla for the start of this best-of-seven series. For owner Joe Lacob, whose ambitious goal was to bring a trophy to San Francisco within five years of inception, his timeline may be drastically shortened. If Golden State can maintain this momentum through four more wins, they will achieve one of the fastest championship climbs in professional sports history.
