Gabby Williams Powers Valkyries From 16 Down Past Wings Into WNBA Semifinals
Gabby Williams scored 17 of her 19 points after halftime as Golden State erased a 16-point deficit to beat Dallas 77-73 and win its first playoff series.
Gabby Williams led the Golden State Valkyries back from 16 points down to beat the Dallas Wings 77-73 and win a first-round WNBA playoff series. It is the franchise's first playoff series win, in just its second season.
How the comeback happened
Dallas looked in control. The Wings closed the first half and opened the third quarter on a 20-0 run, and the Valkyries missed nine straight shots to start the second half. Dallas pushed its lead to 53-37.
The turning point, according to Williams, was a 26-foot three-pointer from Veronica Burton over Paige Bueckers, which ended the drought. Golden State then went on a 14-4 run over the last 4:54 of the third and trailed 59-54 going into the fourth.
The Valkyries outscored Dallas 23-14 in the final quarter. Kaila Charles hit a tying three-pointer with 6:51 left, and Williams hit a go-ahead 17-footer with 1:17 remaining. ESPN reports she scored 11 points in the fourth.
A late replay review
With 13.1 seconds left and Golden State up one, Williams jumped back inbounds to save her own miss. The call was first ruled Dallas' ball, but coach Natalie Nakase challenged it and won the replay review.
Nakase had fallen to her knees on the sideline moments earlier and left the court escorted by a staff member after the final buzzer. The team said she was fine and expects her to coach Sunday. Assistant coach Kasib Powell handled the postgame news conference.
The numbers
- Williams: 19 points. She followed a career-high 36 in Game 2, according to ESPN.
- Burton: 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, the first double-double in Valkyries postseason history, per ESPN.
- Tiffany Hayes: 18 points off the bench.
- Kiah Stokes: 13 rebounds.
- Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas): 30 points on 11-for-21 shooting, after a playoff-record 45 in Wednesday's 108-100 overtime win.
- Bueckers (Dallas): 17 points and six assists, but only 3-for-14 from the field. She made all 10 free throws.
ESPN says it was the fifth-largest comeback in a winner-take-all WNBA playoff game. It was also the largest since the Aces came back from 16 down against Connecticut in Game 5 of the 2020 semifinals.
Williams said she joined Golden State in the offseason because she wanted to be trusted in big moments. "I wanted someone to believe in me in the league," she said. Hayes called her "our dog, she's our leader."
Also read AP Top 25: Alabama Edges Up to No. 6, Missouri Surges 11 Spots Before Georgia Showdown
What happens next
The second-seeded Valkyries open the semifinals against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Sunday afternoon at Chase Center, known to fans as Ballhalla. Golden State won the opening game of its first-round series 104-80 before dropping Game 2. Nakase's status for Sunday is the thing to watch, with the team saying she is expected to be on the sideline.
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