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The Golden State Valkyries secured their first playoff series victory in franchise history with a 77-73 win over the Dallas Wings in Game 3, advancing to the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces.
The Golden State Valkyries won a playoff series for the first time in franchise history, rallying from a 16-point deficit to beat the Dallas Wings 77-73 on Friday, October 2, 2026. They advance to the best-of-five semifinals against the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces. Golden State will host Game 1 at Chase Center on Sunday.
With 13.1 seconds left and Golden State leading by one, Gabby Williams jumped back inbounds to corral her own miss on a play originally ruled Dallas' ball. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase successfully challenged the call. Moments earlier, Nakase had fallen to her knees on the sideline before being helped up.
Nakase walked off the court escorted by a staff member after the final buzzer, holding her face as the team celebrated at midcourt. The team said afterward she was fine and expected to coach Sunday in Game 1. Assistant coach Kasib Powell addressed the media in the postgame news conference where Nakase typically speaks.
The second-seeded Valkyries will be back at Ballhalla for the series opener, with the team's deafening, violet-crazed home crowd at Chase Center. Golden State sold out every regular season home game and set a league attendance record, averaging more than 18,000 fans per contest.
Williams scored 19 points, including all but two after halftime. She hit two 3-pointers late in the third quarter as the Valkyries clawed back. The Valkyries missed three straight 3s and nine shots in a row overall to start the third quarter as Dallas used a 9-0 run to take its largest lead at 53-37. Golden State pulled within 59-54 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Arike Ogunbowale knocked down an off-balance jumper with 3:13 to play that put Dallas up by five and finished with 30 points. She followed up a 45-point performance in the Wings' 108-100 overtime win Wednesday night at home, a playoff record. Ogunbowale was 11 for 21 from the field in Game 3.
Veronica Burton had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Her layup with 8:19 to play pulled the Valkyries within 61-59. Burton and Williams willed Golden State into the semifinals. Tiffany Hayes scored 18 points off the bench, Kaila Charles hit a tying 3-pointer with 6:51 left, and Kiah Stokes pulled down 13 rebounds.
Paige Bueckers had 17 points with six assists but shot only 3 for 14 for Dallas, making all 10 of her free throws. Before the game, Nakase declared: We made a promise to ourselves we are going to play the best four quarters of our lives. She said the Valkyries didn't recognize themselves in Game 2, even though the team had scored 100 or more points in the first two matchups, including a 104-80 win in the series opener last Sunday.
Last year, the Valkyries became the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season. They also received the league's highest valuation from Forbes just before the WNBA tipped off its milestone 30th season. Now they are chasing a semifinal upset against the Aces.
The Atlanta Dream will host the New York Liberty in the other semifinal matchup. The Valkyries' journey has been remarkable, and they are looking to continue their success against Las Vegas.
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FoxNews:Golden State Valkyries erase 16-point deficit, stun Dallas Wings to reach WNBA semifinalsThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Dallas Wings WNBA Playoffs Gabby Williams Las Vegas Aces WNBA Semifinals Natalie Nakase
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