Golden State Valkyries advance to WNBA Finals after sweeping Las Vegas Aces

The Golden State Valkyries eliminated the defending champion Las Vegas Aces with an 87-77 overtime victory on Friday, completing a sweep in the semifinals and securing a spot in the WNBA Finals. The Valkyries, in only their second season, will face the Atlanta Dream, who also swept their series against the New York Liberty.

Game 1 of the Finals is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 17, and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. The Valkyries posted a 32-12 regular-season record last year, the second best in the league, and have built their success on strong defense and three-point shooting under head coach Natalie Nakase.

Kayla Thornton led the Valkyries with 18 points and nine rebounds, while Gabby Williams contributed 16 points. Center Kiah Stokes added 11 points on perfect shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in 37 minutes.

A'ja Wilson of the Aces was limited to 23 points on 41.7% shooting, 7 rebounds and 1 assist per game in the series, compared with higher outputs in earlier rounds. The Aces also dealt with foul trouble for Jackie Young and a low-scoring night for Chelsea Gray, who finished with 17 points.

The sweep marks the first time the Aces have been swept since Becky Hammon became head coach, and the Finals will be the first since 2021 without either the Aces or the New York Liberty.