Golden State Valkyries Sweep Aces to Reach WNBA Finals

The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in overtime on Friday to complete a three-game sweep and advance to the WNBA Finals. The victory makes the Valkyries the first expansion franchise to reach the championship series within its first two seasons. They will meet the Atlanta Dream in a best-of-seven final that begins on Oct. 17 in San Francisco, with the series opening as a -125 favorite for the title.

Guard Veronica Burton said, > "To be here in this moment is a blessing. We're making history. This is unimaginable, but for us it's so realistic. It's what we expected and what we worked toward. It's what we believed in the entire year. We had ultimate confidence coming in here."

Head coach Natalie Nakase added, > "Big dreams. This is a dream come true to be going to the Finals in our second year."

The Valkyries entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and led the league in defensive efficiency. After trailing by 11 points early in the third quarter, they responded with a 17-0 run and held the Aces to seven points for the remainder of the period. A late defensive play by forward Gabby Williams forced a turnover that led to a tying layup with 1:50 left in regulation. In overtime, Williams, forward Kayla Thornton and guard Hayes combined for 45 of the team's 53 points, while center Kiah Stokes contributed 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

"I told them to remember our response is to come closer together, come tighter, to huddle up and grab hands, to communicate," Nakase said after the game. "We saw another level of fight tonight. Strength in numbers. We really left it all out there on the floor."

The Valkyries will now face the Atlanta Dream for the championship, having become the quickest expansion team to reach the WNBA Finals.