Golden State hit 18 3-pointers and scored a franchise-record 104 points to rout Dallas 104-80 in Game 1 of their WNBA playoff series.
The Golden State Valkyries outscored the Dallas Wings 37-11 in the second quarter Sunday night at Chase Center and closed the half on a 20-3 run over the final four minutes. The final was 104-80 in the opener of the best-of-three first-round series.
The 104 points were the most in franchise history, ESPN's Kendra Andrews reported. Golden State made 18 of its 36 3-point attempts, which tied the franchise record for a game.
Those 18 3s are the second-most by a team in a WNBA playoff game. The Las Vegas Aces made 23 in Game 2 of the 2022 semifinals, per ESPN.
Six Valkyries made at least two 3-pointers. No team in league history had done that before, according to ESPN.
Valkyries Make History From 3-Point Range
Cecilia Zandalasini led all scorers with 22 points and went 4-of-5 from deep. Tiffany Hayes scored 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including three 3s. Gabby Williams finished with 20 points and 4 assists, and Kayla Thornton, Veronica Burton, and Kaitlyn Chen each made two 3-pointers.
Twelve of the Valkyries' made 3s came on contested attempts. That is the second-most by a team over the past five postseasons. The Aces made 15 in the same 2022 semifinal game.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said it is hard for teams to match up with Golden State when it pushes the pace at a good rate. The Valkyries committed 5 turnovers.
"Sometimes, we want to attack, attack, attack to the point where we're running into each other," Nakase said. "The discipline in spacing tonight, the patience in terms of when we attacked was really good ... and when that ball is moving ... it's key to our execution."
Golden State led 58-31 at halftime. The lead reached 36 points, and Dallas won the fourth quarter 24-19.
Paige Bueckers Calls Second Quarter 'Insane Work'
Paige Bueckers said the Wings did not stay disciplined to a game plan built around limiting turnovers and guarding the 3-point line.
"A 37-point quarter is insane work," Bueckers said. "They got whatever they wanted."
Bueckers scored 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range, and grabbed 6 rebounds. She is the first player in WNBA history to score at least 20 points while shooting 90% or better in a playoff debut, according to ESPN.
Williams said Golden State was able to be more particular about the looks it was trying to get Sunday.
"We're just getting stops and running and trying to tire them out," Williams said.
Bueckers wants the Wings to match Golden State's defensive intensity.
"It starts with their defense," Bueckers explained. "They don't let their offense dictate their defense; it's the other way around. When they're flying around, getting stops, shots tend to go in more for them. It's tough on a team like that when you're never going to get their worst night defensively. They might miss shots, they might miss 3s, but they're always locked in defensively."
Dallas has a "nasty habit" of letting what happens on offense affect its defense, Bueckers said.
"This is the playoffs, so it's really unacceptable," Bueckers said.
Wings Struggle Outside of Bueckers
Jessica Shepard, named The Associated Press Most Improved Player earlier Sunday, went 0-of-7 from the field and finished with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. During the regular season, she averaged 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists and had six triple-doubles.
Kitija Laksa scored 11 points off the bench and made 3-of-4 from deep. Maddy Siegrist also scored 11, and Arike Ogunbowale added 10 on 2-of-7 shooting and 6-of-6 at the line. Dallas made 6 of its 20 3-point attempts.
Williams wanted every one of Bueckers' shots to be hard.
"She's an excellent player, one of the best in the league," Williams explained. "As long as I can make [her shots] hard, where she has to really work for them, she will get tired. That's the goal. She's going to get them, but how can I wear her down?"
Valkyries Move One Win From Advancing
Golden State swept the regular-season series, winning 91-80 on June 17, 94-76 on Aug. 7, and 78-70 on Aug. 17. The Valkyries finished 32-12. Last season, Golden State played its home playoff game at SAP Center in San Jose, and Minnesota swept it in the first round.
Dallas finished 27-17 under Wings coach Jose Fernandez, a 17-win improvement on its 2025 record. Azzi Fudd, the first overall pick in April, has been out since a knee injury ended her season in August.
The Wings host Game 2 on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. A Game 3 would be played Friday, Oct. 2, at Chase Center if needed.
