The Golden State Valkyries just dropped the hammer on the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces, taking them down 87-77 in an overtime thriller in Game 3 of the 2026 WNBA playoffs semifinals. That’s a sweep of the best-of-five series, folks, and it punches their ticket straight to the WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream. Joe Lacob made a bold claim when he got this expansion franchise, saying they’d be champions within five years. Guess what? It’s year two, and they are one series away from proving him right.
Dethroning the Champs After a Regular Season Beatdown
This run is absolutely wild. Think about it: the Valkyries lost all three of their regular season games against the Aces. But when the lights got bright in the postseason, they flipped the script completely, winning all three playoff matchups. It’s been clear for months, but this sweep just confirmed it: this Golden State squad looks like the best team in the WNBA. Friday night in Sin City, they officially dethroned the champs. That’s huge.
Now, Game 3 wasn’t without its early drama. Golden State came out a little slow, a little out of sorts offensively, which has been a theme for them in the playoffs. They didn’t even get on the scoreboard for almost three-and-a-half minutes! But thank goodness for their defense, which is easily the league’s most stalwart unit. They kept the Valkyries in the game even when the buckets weren’t falling. Gabby Williams, the team’s lone All-Star this season, was struggling early, and the team fell behind. But like all great players, she found her rhythm late, and the rest of the team followed suit. They never led in the first quarter, and A’ja Wilson, who just snagged her record-setting fifth league MVP award, had seven points for Vegas. Still, thanks to a late jumper from Kaitlyn Chen, Golden State only trailed 19-16 after the first frame, grabbing a little momentum.
Experience vs. Energy: The Second Quarter Battle
The second quarter brought a whole new set of challenges. The Valkyries, who relied heavily on the three-ball all season, were initially working the paint. But things got uncharacteristically sloppy as the clock rolled. That’s where you saw the experience gap between these two teams. The Aces have been in the semifinals for eight consecutive seasons, and it showed, especially with Chelsea Gray. That woman is a four-time champion and has been in the playoffs for 11 straight seasons. She looked like the most composed person on the floor, scoring the first eight points for Vegas and single-handedly pushing their lead back to seven. But just when it looked like Vegas might pull away, Golden State started making it rain from deep, getting right back into the thick of it. The pressure was clearly building for both teams, and the game turned chaotic midway through that second quarter.
Now the Valkyries are headed to the biggest stage: the WNBA Finals. They’ll face the Atlanta Dream next. This isn’t just a series, folks, this is for the whole thing. Can they finish what they started and shock everyone, including their own owner, by taking home the trophy in just their second year? We are about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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