Valkyries Push Aces to the Brink With Clutch Game 2 Win

The Golden State Valkyries are one win away from the WNBA Finals after surviving a dramatic Las Vegas comeback Wednesday night. Golden State defeated the Aces 83-81 at Chase Center to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series, putting the league’s second-year franchise on the verge of another piece of history.

Tiffany Hayes led Golden State with 21 points off the bench, while Gabby Williams scored 20 and Kayla Thornton added 16. Las Vegas erased a deficit that reached 17 points and briefly moved ahead late in the fourth quarter, but Williams answered with a jumper before Veronica Burton buried a deep three with 41 seconds remaining. Kiah Stokes then blocked Chelsea Gray’s final layup attempt after an intentionally missed free throw, preserving the victory. Golden State’s bench outscored Las Vegas 34-14, reinforcing the depth that has become one of the Valkyries’ defining strengths.

The larger story is how quickly Golden State has accelerated from expansion project to championship threat. After becoming the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season, the Valkyries now need only one more victory to reach the Finals in Year 2. Game 3 shifts to Las Vegas on Friday, where the Aces face elimination and Golden State gets its first opportunity to turn an improbable rise into a Finals berth.