The Golden State Valkyries just held on for dear life in Game 2 of the WNBA playoffs semifinals, escaping an insane Las Vegas Aces comeback with an 83-81 win. Vegas clawed back from a massive 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter, even taking their first lead after an 18-6 run, but clutch shots and a game-saving block sealed the deal for Golden State right when it looked like the Aces were about to run away with it. This one went down to the absolute wire.
The Fourth Quarter Chaos and a Game-Winning Block
Talk about a rollercoaster! The Valkyries were holding home-court advantage, and they absolutely needed to prevent the Aces from getting a split. It almost didn’t happen. After Vegas stormed back, Gabby Williams hit a jumper with just 1:25 left, then Veronica Burton drained a clutch three-pointer to retake the lead. The entire arena was going loco! From there, the endgame turned into a straight-up free-throw contest. Both teams started trading intentional fouls with 9.2 seconds on the clock, chewing up only 2.8 seconds total. Then, with 5.9 seconds to go, the Valkyries fouled again. Aces coach Becky Hammon was clearly sick of the foul shots, and she was out of timeouts. Jackie Young stepped to the line, hit her first free throw to cut the lead to two, then intentionally missed the second. Chelsea Gray grabbed the rebound, but Kiah Stokes, who was already playing with five fouls, delivered an incredible game-saving block, reaching behind her to deny the shot and secure the 83-81 victory! That was Golden State’s first block of the entire game, and it came with just 1.2 seconds left. What a moment!
Clutch Performances and Gritty Stats
While Stokes’ block was the headline play, the Valkyries got some huge performances. Tiffany Hayes came off the bench and absolutely lit it up, leading the team with 21 points in just 17 minutes, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the foul line. Gabby Williams was also lights out with 20 points, marking her fourth time scoring 20 or more in five playoff games, and she sank three three-pointers to keep the Valkyries in it. Overall, the Valkyries were sharp from the stripe, going 25-for-27 on free throws, barely out-dueling the Aces, who were 23-for-25 before Young’s intentional miss. The Aces’ early struggles certainly hurt them, shooting only 43 percent on field goals and three-pointers in the first half and only managing 31 points due to turnovers and grabbing a measly nine rebounds. They tried to bounce back from their Game 1 loss, but the Valkyries, especially Kiah Stokes with her excellent defensive game, weren’t letting them get the rebounds they needed.
This win is huge for Golden State in the semifinals. Now, they’ve got the momentum heading into Game 3, and you know both teams are going to bring that same intensity. Who’s gonna make the next clutch play? We’ll be watching!
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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