Burton's 3-pointer with 41 seconds
left helps send Valkyries past Aces 83-81 for 2-0 semifinals lead
[October 08, 2026]
By JANIE McCAULEY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Veronica Burton hit a deep 3-pointer that put
Golden State ahead with 41 seconds left and converted two free
throws in the closing seconds, Tiffany Hayes had 21 points, and the
Valkyries held off the Las Vegas Aces 83-81 on Wednesday night for a
2-0 lead in the best-of-five WNBA semifinal series.
“I think I held my breath the whole time the ball was in the air,”
Hayes said about watching Burton’s clutch shot.
In a wild finish, Jackie Young missed the second of two free throws
with six seconds left to give Las Vegas one last chance, then
Chelsea Gray grabbed the rebound and drove under the basket for a
layup attempt. Kiah Stokes blocked the shot and Burton corralled the
ball.
Gabby Williams had 20 points and five rebounds and Kayla Thornton
scored 16 points as the Valkyries moved one win away from reaching
the WNBA Finals in just their second season. Golden State became the
first expansion team in league history to make the playoffs in its
inaugural season last year.
Hayes missed that postseason run because of a left knee injury, and
now she's shining against her former team.
“It felt amazing to be able to go out there and get a win with the
team that I’m with now,” she said.
A shot-clock violation gave Golden State the ball back with 1:01 to
play and Burton delivered with her lone basket of the night.
“That Burton 3 was massive,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “We
battled back and gave ourselves a shot after a really abysmal first
half.”
The series now shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Friday with the
defending champions trying to stave off elimination. Hammon said
before Wednesday's game how important it would be to go home with a
split — but the Valkyries have been too good in front of their
rocking home crowd and now Hammon's team is on the brink of the
season ending without a repeat title.
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Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) and Golden State
Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) celebrate their win against the
Las Vegas Aces during Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals in San
Francisco, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (Yalonda M. James/San Francisco
Chronicle via AP)
“I can't convince them that this is not a must-win,
because if we lose we go home, and we stay home,” she said. “The
goal is to get one quarter at a time and we've got to string it
together. We know we're capable of stringing three in a row.”
A’ja Wilson had 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting and seven rebounds
for Las Vegas, which trailed 66-55 going into the final 10 minutes
and made it interesting down the stretch.
Gray’s jumper with 4:46 to go pulled the Aces to 73-68 then Dana
Evans’ 3-pointer made it 74-71 before Gray hit a tying 3 with 2:10
left.
Burton, who sat down with 7:29 left in the third quarter of a 71-60
Game 1 win Sunday and didn’t return, was thrilled to have the ball
in her hands this time.
“I was just saying I had to do something out there,” she said. “I
appreciated Gabby trusting me in that moment, obviously a big
moment. We trust her with the ball in her hands as well and so for
her to pass it up to me not just once in that possession but twice
... the second one I knew that had to go up.”
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