The Golden State Valkyries claimed victory over the Las Vegas Aces, the reigning champions, with a 71-60 win in Game 1 of their best-of-five semifinal series. This triumph gives Golden State a 1-0 lead in the series.
WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson had a decent performance with 24 points, but her impact on the boards was limited with just four rebounds. The Valkyries took control of the game by dominating the rebounding battle.
Golden State’s defensive pressure limited Las Vegas to 33.7% shooting. Gabby Williams stood out with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists. In her post-game comments, Aces head coach Becky Hammon provided a frank evaluation of her team’s performance, expressing dissatisfaction but maintaining hope for the remainder of the series.
“I thought that was one of our more atrocious games of the season. I think we shot ourselves in the foot and got outhustled,” said Hammon, who also noted the injury of Aces guard Jewell Loyd.
Hammon criticized her team’s lack of execution in rebounding, a focus they had discussed extensively before the game. Golden State outrebounded Las Vegas 52-25, with Kiah Stokes securing 14 rebounds and Kayla Thornton adding 11 to support Williams’ efforts.
During the regular season, the Aces averaged 33.4 rebounds per game, ranking them seventh alongside the Indiana Fever. The Valkyries were close behind, ranking ninth with an average of 33.3 rebounds per game.
Hammon acknowledged the mixed feelings following the loss, stating, “Good news is we played like [expletive] and only lost by 10. So dissect that however you want,”
before ending her media session.
Las Vegas aims to rebound from this loss in Game 2, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
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