Gabby Williams scored eight points in overtime and the Golden State Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces 87-77 on the road on Friday to complete a three-game sweep and reach the WNBA finals in only their second season as an expansion franchise.
Golden State forced overtime with a late 8-0 run after trailing 69-63, then outscored the defending champions 16-6 in the extra period. Williams finished with 16 points, while Kayla Thornton led the Valkyries with 18 points and nine rebounds. Kiah Stokes added 11 points, 10 rebounds and strong defense against A’ja Wilson.
The Valkyries will meet the fourth-seeded Atlanta Dream, who also swept their semifinal series by beating the New York Liberty 85-83 on the road. Game 1 of the finals is scheduled for Oct. 17 in San Francisco.
Wilson, who won her record fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player award this week, led Las Vegas with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Jackie Young scored 16 points and Chelsea Gray had 17 points and five assists, but the Aces turned the ball over 18 times.
The result ends the Aces’ title defense and sends Golden State to its first WNBA finals appearance in the franchise’s second season.
