Valkyries Dominate the Glass to Take Game 1 Over Aces

The Golden State Valkyries opened the WNBA Semifinals the only way they know how: by outworking the opponent.

The second-seeded Valkyries beat the third-seeded Las Vegas Aces 71-60 in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals on Sunday, setting a franchise record with 52 rebounds in front of a sellout crowd of 18,064 at Chase Center. Seventeen of those rebounds came on the offensive end.

The rebounding disparity decided the game. Golden State outrebounded Las Vegas 52-25 and converted its 17 offensive boards into 20 second-chance points. The Aces managed just two offensive rebounds and were held to a season-low 60 points.

"They threw two or three people at her," Aces guard Chelsea Gray said of Golden State's defensive approach. "But the problem was not necessarily the offense — we lost the game on the boards. There's just no question about that."

The teams traded the lead seven times in the first quarter alone, with Williams scoring 13 of her 25 points in the period. Golden State closed the quarter with nine of the final 11 points to lead 22-18, then scored 12 of the first 17 in the second to go up 34-23, its first double-digit lead. Las Vegas never got closer than three the rest of the half.

Gray made a 3-pointer early in the third quarter that pulled Las Vegas within 36-34, the closest the Aces came the rest of the afternoon. The Valkyries scored the next five points and led by at least seven from that point on.

Williams led Golden State with 25 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on 9-of-18 shooting. She became the ninth player in WNBA playoff history to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while shooting 50 percent or better.

But the game ball belonged to Kiah Stokes.

The Valkyries center scored zero points in 27 minutes. It didn't matter. She grabbed 14 rebounds — seven offensive — blocked four shots, and spent the afternoon making life miserable for A'ja Wilson, who was limited to just four boards of her own.

"MVP of the game tonight," Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said. "Her disruption, her matching up with A'ja is a really tough task, and I thought she did an amazing job. I thought today Kiah was emptying that tank. And that's the Kiah Stokes that we know."

Nakase had collapsed late in Friday's series-clinching win over Dallas and was cleared to coach Sunday, one day after being treated for exhaustion and lightheadedness.

Stokes became the first postseason player since 2012 to record at least 11 rebounds, seven offensive rebounds and four blocks in a game.

Wilson did her part for Las Vegas — 24 points, her 35th career playoff game with at least 20, extending her streak of 20-point postseason outings to 10, which ties Breanna Stewart for the longest in league history. Gray added 16 points and made history of her own, passing Alyssa Thomas to become the WNBA's all-time postseason assists leader with a third-quarter dish to Wilson.

It didn't matter. Golden State held the Aces to 33.9 percent shooting and just two offensive rebounds.

The Valkyries also held advantages in second-chance points (20-5), points in the paint (34-18) and bench scoring (27-7). Rookie Aminata Gueye, who had joined the team only days earlier, scored a career playoff-high nine points on 4-of-5 shooting and gave Stokes a breather without a drop-off.

"We played like ass and only lost by 10," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "So dissect that however you want."

Hammon was pointed about her team's effort — or lack of it.

"All we talked about for the last 48 hours was rebounding and blocking them out, and we did not do it, period. I could end this whole thing right now. Don't ask me about the game. It's rebounding. That was it."

The Aces also suffered a potentially significant blow late in the third quarter, when Jewell Loyd exited with a left leg injury. Hammon said after the game she had not yet spoken to Loyd and didn't have details beyond "something with her lower leg." Las Vegas was already without Dana Evans (right knee) and Steph Talbot (left knee).

"They wanted it more than us," Gray said. "Their hustle was there, and they just grabbed every one."

Game 2 is Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., back at Chase Center, where the Valkyries will play in front of their 49th straight sellout crowd. A win puts Golden State up 2-0 before the series heads to Las Vegas.

Valkyries owner Joe Lacob, walking through the Chase Center tunnels afterward, told ESPN that Williams is "the best player in the world."

Williams, an East Oakland native, has waited a long time to play a game like this in front of a home crowd. She also knows a series doesn't end after one game.

"I know in their locker room they're not happy with how they played, so they're going to come out," she said. "Their whole goal is to come to our house and steal one game, so they still have the opportunity to do that. We know we need to come out on Wednesday, set the tone again and try to win. We have home-court advantage, and we need to use it."