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 to set the semifinals.
The Valkyries will host the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces, the reigning WNBA champions, on Sunday in Game 1 of the best-of-five semifinals.
The No. 4 Atlanta Dream host the No. 8 New York Liberty on the other side of the bracket.
Golden State rallied to overcome a 16-point deficit Friday and 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 15 in Game 3 — but she 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 own run. The Valkyries went on a 14-4 run over the final 4:54 of the third, cutting away at the lead to make it a five-point game 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.
Veronica Burton scored a team-high 16 points and Tiffany Hayes added 18.
The Valkyries’ 16-point rally ties the fifth-largest comeback in a winner-take-all game in WNBA playoff history. It’s the largest since the Aces had a 16-point comeback 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 reigning champion Aces. It’s a tall task, but Golden State has shown a gritty determination and level of fight all season long — that’s what led them to have the league’s best defense and earn the No. 2 seed.
The Valkyries have one of the clearest identities in the league in the way they rely on their defense, which limits opponents to a league-low 75.1 points per game. 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 between 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 some key players, but they made this a series by tying it at one apiece behind Ogunbowale’s historic 45-point game. Even though their season ended in the first round, it was a sign of growth.
