The Golden State Valkyries completed a three-game sweep of the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA semifinals, winning Game 3 in overtime at Michelob Ultra Arena. The Valkyries advanced to the WNBA Finals, where they will face the Atlanta Dream, who also swept their series against the New York Liberty.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 21 points and 10 rebounds in Game 3, though she shot 6 of 19 from the floor. Chelsea Gray added 17 points but struggled in the second half, making just 1 of 6 shots after halftime. The Aces led 47-36 early in the third quarter after two free throws by Wilson, but the Valkyries responded with a 17-0 run to take control.
Golden State went on an 8-0 run late to take a 71-69 lead with less than a minute remaining. Jackie Young scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and tied the game with a layup with 26.2 seconds left. Gray’s potential game-winning jumper rimmed out at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime, which the Valkyries won to clinch the series.
Kiah Stokes contributed significantly for the Valkyries, grabbing 14 rebounds, seven offensively, in Game 3. Tiffany Hayes came off the bench to score 21 points in 17 minutes in Game 2 against her former team. The loss marks the first time since the 2020 WNBA Finals that the Aces have been swept in a playoff series.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: 8 News Now →
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