The Golden State Valkyries are headed to the WNBA semifinals. The second-year franchise erased a 16-point deficit Friday night to beat Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings 77-73 in a winner-take-all Game 3 at Chase Center, as ClutchPoints reported. It’s the first playoff series win in team history, and the comeback tied the fifth-largest in a winner-take-all game in WNBA playoff history.
Gabby Williams scored 19, Tiffany Hayes gave them 18 off the bench and Veronica Burton nearly had a double-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
The IAHHM Take
Dallas shouldn’t hang its head. The Wings went 27-17 this season after going 10-34 in 2025, and coach Jose Fernandez put the turnaround squarely on his star. “We only get to this point because of Paige,” he said, per ClutchPoints. “She takes ownership in carrying the load.” The first-team All-WNBA guard averaged 16 points in the series and closed with 17 points, six assists and two steals in Game 3. Year two Paige is already a problem. Year three could be scary.
For Golden State, the reward is the toughest draw on the board. ClutchPoints makes the case that the Las Vegas Aces are the Valkyries’ biggest obstacle to a title, and the numbers agree: Vegas finished a game behind Golden State in the standings but won all three regular-season meetings, according to the Valkyries’ series preview. A’ja Wilson is coming off a 36-point night that sent Caitlin Clark and the Fever home, and Chelsea Gray still runs the show when games get tight.
The Valkyries do have some inside knowledge. Head coach Natalie Nakase, Hayes and Kiah Stokes all have Las Vegas experience. But living on comebacks won’t cut it against a championship-tested team. Game 1 tips today at 4 p.m. ET at Chase Center on NBC and Peacock.
Your call: Can the league’s newest contender take a series from A’ja, or does Vegas’ experience win out? Let us know.
Source: ClutchPoints
