The Golden State Valkyries secured a 71-60 victory against the Las Vegas Aces in Game 1 of a best-of-five semifinal series. This win placed the Valkyries ahead with a 1-0 series lead. Despite A’ja Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, scoring 24 points, her performance was considered below her usual playoff standards, with only four rebounds recorded. Golden State’s superior rebounding played a crucial role in their victory.
Remarkably, the Valkyries limited the Aces to a 33.7% shooting rate. Gabby Williams shone with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, contributing significantly to the win. Following the loss, Aces’ head coach Becky Hammon candidly expressed her assessment of the team’s performance. She acknowledged that improvements were necessary but remained optimistic about the series’ outcome.
Coach Hammon labeled the game as one of their more disappointing performances, citing self-inflicted mistakes and a lack of effort. The team’s struggles were compounded by an injury to Aces guard Jewell Loyd, who sustained a ‘lower leg injury’ during the match. Hammon emphasized the importance of rebounding, stating that, despite extensive discussions about rebounding techniques, the Aces were outperformed in this area.
The Valkyries dominated the boards, collecting 52 rebounds compared to Las Vegas’ 25. Williams’ performance was bolstered by contributions from Kiah Stokes, who recorded a game-high 14 rebounds, and Kayla Thornton, who secured 11 rebounds. The Aces, who tied with the Indiana Fever for seventh place in rebounding averages with 33.4 per game during the season, found themselves outmatched by the Valkyries’ tenth-ranked average of 33.3.
Coach Hammon described the Game 1 loss as a “good news bad news” situation. Although the defeat was a setback, she noted that they only lost by ten points. Hammon urged for a reevaluation of their approach as they prepare for Game 2, set for Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 9:30 p.m. ET. With adjustments, Las Vegas hopes to level the series.
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