No. 2 Golden State ran the floor in last night’s Aces vs Valkyries clash. The second-year expansion team fended off No. 3 Las Vegas 71-60 in front of a hyped Balhalla crowd, grabbing a one-game WNBA semifinals lead.
Guard Gabby Williams led with 25 points and 11 rebounds. She set the tone for a smothering Valkyries defense that held the Aces to just 29% shooting.
“We were really connected tonight,” Williams said. “And then it came down to rebounding.”
Las Vegas will look to shake off the hostile environment in Game 2, hunting a critical road win in the best-of-five series.
Outside its Big Three — A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young — the usually explosive Aces combined for just nine points on Sunday.
“The good news is, we played like ass and only lost by 10,” coach Becky Hammon wryly noted.
Golden State hosts Las Vegas on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET (ESPN).
