Valkyries Clinch Playoff Berth with 78-70 Win Over Wings
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries are back in the WNBA playoffs. The second-year Bay Area franchise made it two-for-two in playoff appearances by beating the Dallas Wings 78-70 on Monday night at Chase Center.
The Valks improved to 25-9, stretching their lead over the ninth-place Portland Fire to what they described as an insurmountable margin. They became the third WNBA team to clinch a playoff spot this season.
In its second season, Golden State is firmly in the upper echelon of the WNBA, currently second in the league standings and trailing only the Minnesota Lynx (29-7). The Valkyries were swept 2-0 by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural season, when they reached the postseason as the No. 8 seed.
Dallas (20-16) is in a familiar spot for the Valks — the Wings are on the fringes of the playoff hunt with the eighth-best record in the league.
Golden State’s effort on Monday was a typically thorough performance, with the Valkyries establishing a 16-point halftime lead and largely cruising to the finish line, though Dallas made a late charge in the final minutes to bring the deficit under double digits.
Gabby Williams led Golden State with 23 points, Veronica Burton had 16, and Tiffany Hayes and Janelle Salaun each added 10.
Hayes’ 3-pointer from the midcourt logo to end the first quarter keyed the Valkyries’ 24-9 second-quarter surge and enlivened a Golden State group that had started the game sluggishly. Her calculated heave gave the Valks their first lead of the game after trailing by as many as six points in the opening frame.
The game drew a sellout crowd of 18,064 fans, including Stephen Curry, who attended alongside multiple Warriors teammates.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakasa praised Hayes’ fearlessness, saying, "She's never afraid. She's not only emptying the tank, but she's fearless on the offensive end."
Williams emphasized the team's focus, stating, "I came here to win. I've said that since day one. I've been very clear about that. How do you do that? You go game by game. So how do we do that? We gotta beat Minnesota Wednesday."
Minnesota comes to town on Wednesday for a game the Valkyries see as a measuring stick.