Valkyries Sweep Aces to Reach First WNBA Finals

Golden State secured its first WNBA Finals appearance with an 87-77 overtime victory over the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 on Friday night in Las Vegas. According to the Associated Press, the second-year Valkyries completed a playoff sweep of the defending champions, becoming the fastest expansion team to reach the league's championship series.

The second-seeded Valkyries will have home-court advantage against the No. 4 Atlanta Dream, with the Finals scheduled to begin Oct. 17. Atlanta also advanced Friday after sweeping the New York Liberty, extending a postseason trend in which teams leading a series 2-0 have won all 22 such series in WNBA playoff history.

Kayla Thornton led Golden State with 18 points, while Gabby Williams contributed 16, including eight in overtime. Former Aces players Kiah Stokes and Tiffany Hayes each added 11 points, and Stokes collected 10 rebounds.

Las Vegas entered the series as the third seed after winning three of the previous four championships. The Aces received 21 points and 10 rebounds from A'ja Wilson, who was honored before the game for winning an unprecedented fifth MVP award. Wilson shot 6-for-19 from the field.

Wilson also reached a postseason statistical milestone, joining DeWanna Bonner as the only players with at least 1,300 points and 600 rebounds in playoff history. Jackie Young scored 18 points for Las Vegas, while Chelsea Gray finished with 17.

Golden State built momentum with a 17-point scoring run that gave the Valkyries a 53-47 advantage. Las Vegas responded to close the gap to one point by the end of the quarter, limiting the Aces to seven points during that period.

The Aces held a six-point lead late in regulation before Golden State rallied to force a tie. Williams stole the ball from Wilson, and Thornton converted a transition layup to make the score 69-69 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 passed the ball in to Young, who tied the game with 27 seconds remaining, sending the contest into overtime.

Golden State dominated the extra period, outscoring Las Vegas 16-6 to secure the 10-point victory and complete the sweep. The result eliminated the reigning champions and sent the Valkyries into their first WNBA Finals in only their second season.