Valkyries rally from 16 down to beat Wings and reach WNBA semifinals

The Golden State Valkyries advanced to the WNBA semifinals for the first time on Friday night, beating the Dallas Wings 77-73 in a deciding Game 3 to take the first-round series 2-1, the WNBA said in a post on X. [1][2]

The win is the first playoff series victory in the franchise's history. The NBA also noted the milestone in a post on X. [4]

Dallas led by as many as 16 points midway through the third quarter, according to ESPN. The Wings had gone on a 20-0 run across the end of the first half and the start of the third. [5]

Golden State answered with a 14-4 run over the final 4:54 of the third quarter and outscored Dallas 23-14 in the fourth, ESPN reported. ESPN said it was the fifth-largest comeback in a winner-take-all game in WNBA playoff history. [5]

Williams led the Valkyries with 19 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals. ESPN reported that Williams scored 17 of those points after halftime, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Tiffany Hayes, a Valkyries guard, scored 18 points off the bench, and Veronica Burton had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. [1][5]

Hayes praised Williams after the game. "Big shot Gabby," Hayes said, according to ESPN. [5] Williams said the team's trust was a reason for joining Golden State. "I wanted someone to believe in me in the league," Williams said. [5]

The Valkyries will meet the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces in a best-of-five semifinal series that opens Sunday at Ballhalla, according to ESPN. In the other semifinal, the New York Liberty will play the Atlanta Dream, the WNBA said. [3][5]