Valkyries beat Aces 71-60 to take 1-0 semifinal lead

The Golden State Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces 71-60 in Game 1 of their WNBA semifinal series on October 4, holding the defending champions to their lowest-scoring game of the season and taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five matchup. Golden State’s defense and control of the boards shaped the opener. The Valkyries outrebounded Las Vegas 52-25, while the Aces managed 60 points. One game account described Golden State’s 52 rebounds as a franchise high. The result was the Valkyries’ first victory in a WNBA semifinal game. Gabby Williams led Golden State with 25 points and 11 rebounds. A’ja Wilson paced Las Vegas with 24 points, shooting 8 for 21 from the field. Chelsea Gray added 16 points for the Aces, while Kiah Stokes recorded 14 rebounds and three blocks for the Valkyries. Golden State built an 11-point lead in the first half, but Las Vegas closed the second quarter with an 8-0 run to make the score 34-31 at halftime. The Valkyries maintained their advantage after the break, limiting the Aces’ scoring and winning the rebounding battle by a wide margin. The loss followed three regular-season wins by Las Vegas over Golden State.