Golden State 87, Las Vegas 77 (OT) · Michelob ULTRA Arena · Valkyries win series 3-0

Two seasons. That's all it took. The Golden State Valkyries finished off the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in overtime on Friday night, completing a three-game sweep and becoming the quickest expansion franchise in league history to reach the WNBA Finals.

It did not look like a sweep night early. Las Vegas carried a nine-point lead into halftime and stretched it to 11 early in the third quarter, with A'ja Wilson — honored before tip for her record fifth MVP award — and the Aces' guards setting the tempo at home.

The 17-0 swing

Then Golden State's defense, the league's best all season, flipped the game. A 17-0 third-quarter run turned a double-digit deficit into a 53-47 Valkyries lead, and Las Vegas managed just seven points in the period.

The Aces regrouped and led by six late in the fourth. Gabby Williams answered by stripping Wilson, and Kayla Thornton finished in transition to tie it 69-69 with 1:50 left. Veronica Burton's floater put Golden State in front at 1:12, but Jackie Young tied it at 71 on a Chelsea Gray inbound with 26.6 seconds to go. Williams missed a go-ahead layup, and Gray's 15-footer at the horn rimmed out.

Overtime belonged to Golden State

The Valkyries opened the extra period on a 12-2 run — eight of those points from Williams — and won the five minutes 16-6. Williams, Tiffany Hayes and Thornton accounted for every Golden State point in OT.

The storyline writes itself: head coach Natalie Nakase is a former Aces assistant, and former Aces Kiah Stokes and Tiffany Hayes were central to the series win. It is also the first time a Becky Hammon-coached Aces team has been swept in the playoffs.

By the numbers

  • Kayla Thornton — 18 pts (team high)
  • Gabby Williams — 16 pts, 8 in overtime
  • Kiah Stokes — 11 pts, 10 reb
  • Tiffany Hayes — 11 pts
  • A'ja Wilson — 21 pts on 6-of-19 shooting
  • Jackie Young — 18 pts · Chelsea Gray — 17 pts
  • Overtime: Golden State 16, Las Vegas 6

Up next: No. 2 Golden State hosts No. 4 Atlanta in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Chase Center.

Published on womenssec.com. Statistics referenced are as of the publication date.