The Golden State Valkyries are trending because they swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 3-0 in the 2026 WNBA semifinals and reached the Finals in only their second season. Game 3 finished 87-77 in overtime on October 9, 2026, at Michelob ULTRA Arena, per ESPN and valkyries.wnba.com. This is the fastest an expansion team has ever reached the WNBA Finals, according to valkyries.wnba.com and CBS Sports.
Golden State trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter before going on a 17-0 run over seven minutes. The Valkyries held Las Vegas to just seven points in that quarter, according to the team's game recap. They then outscored the Aces 16-6 in overtime and made all eight of their free throws to close out the win. ESPN reported the final score as 87-77.
Kayla Thornton led Golden State with 18 points in Game 3, while Gabby Williams added 16, including eight in overtime. Tiffany Hayes and Kiah Stokes each scored 11, with Stokes also recording 10 rebounds, three blocks and a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, per ESPN. For Las Vegas, A'ja Wilson led with 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
Gabby Williams averaged 20.3 points per game across the three-game sweep of Las Vegas. Over the entire 2026 postseason she averaged 22.3 points per game, according to CBS Sports. Her scoring output was a major factor in Golden State's ability to close out the defending champions.
The Valkyries are the first expansion team in WNBA history to reach the Finals within their first two seasons. They had already become the first WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural year, 2025. The Associated Press notes this topped the Atlanta Dream, who needed three years to reach their first Finals.
Golden State finished the 2026 regular season with a 32-10 record and earned the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. CBS Sports reported their defensive rating of 99.1 was the best in the league by more than four points per 100 possessions. That defensive strength carried into the postseason, where they limited Las Vegas in key stretches.
The Aces had won three of the last four WNBA championships before this series. Sweeping a defending champion that had been so dominant is what pushed the Valkyries into the national conversation. Beating Las Vegas in three straight games, including an overtime clincher on the road, made the result stand out even more.
Gabby Williams said, "We're about to have some bandwagoners cause we didn't get no love all season," according to Newsweek. Head coach Natalie Nakase said, "Big dreams. This is a dream come true to be going to the Finals in our second year." These comments circulated widely and added to the attention around the team.
The Valkyries will face the No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream in the best-of-seven WNBA Finals. Atlanta swept the New York Liberty in their semifinal series, according to the AP and valkyries.wnba.com. Because both teams are seeking their first championship, a first-time WNBA champion is guaranteed in 2026.
Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time at Chase Center in San Francisco. The game will air on NBC and Peacock, per valkyries.wnba.com. Golden State hosts Games 1, 2, and if needed Games 5 and 7, while Atlanta hosts Games 3, 4 and 6.
The Valkyries hold home-court advantage in the Finals because they finished with a better regular-season record than Atlanta. That means the deciding Game 7, if the series goes that far, would be played at Chase Center in San Francisco. Chase Center is the same arena where Game 1 will open the series on October 17.
A pre-sale for Finals tickets begins Monday, October 12, 2026, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. The general public sale opens at 6 p.m. Pacific Time the same day, online only at valkyries.wnba.com/tickets, according to the team's website. Tickets are only available through the official online portal for the general sale.
ESPN reported that the Valkyries opened as -125 favorites to win the WNBA title. In sports betting, a -125 line means a bettor would need to wager $125 to potentially win $100, indicating the team is viewed as the more likely champion. This is an opening line and can change as the series progresses.
Defensive rating measures how many points a team allows per 100 possessions, which is a way to compare defenses while adjusting for pace of play. The Valkyries' 99.1 defensive rating was more than four points per 100 possessions better than any other team in the 2026 regular season, per CBS Sports. A lower defensive rating indicates a stronger defense.
Golden State's 17-0 run in the third quarter turned an 11-point deficit into a lead. During that seven-minute stretch, the Valkyries held the Aces to seven points in the entire quarter, according to the team's game recap. That swing was the turning point that put Golden State in position to win in overtime.
In the extra period, the Valkyries outscored the Aces 16-6. They also went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line to close out the game, per ESPN. That combination of scoring and free-throw accuracy in overtime prevented Las Vegas from forcing a Game 4.
Las Vegas had won three of the last four WNBA titles before the 2026 semifinals. That recent championship history made them a formidable opponent and the defending champions. Sweeping a team with that résumé is what made the Valkyries' series win particularly notable.
Head coach Natalie Nakase described reaching the Finals in the team's second year as a dream come true. "Big dreams. This is a dream come true to be going to the Finals in our second year," she said, according to the transcript. Her leadership has guided the franchise from its inaugural 2025 season to this 2026 Finals appearance.
Gabby Williams' comment about bandwagoners reflects the team's feeling that it received little national attention during the regular season. "We're about to have some bandwagoners cause we didn't get no love all season," she said, per Newsweek. The quote resonated because it captured the contrast between the team's quiet regular season and its sudden spotlight.
Both the Valkyries and the Dream are chasing their first WNBA championship, so a first-time champion will be crowned. For Golden State, winning would cap a historic rise from expansion team to title winner in just two seasons. For Atlanta, it would be the franchise's first title after reaching the Finals for the first time since 2013.
