Tag: WNBA

Golden State Valkyries are your 2026 WNBA Finals Champions

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The Golden State Valkyries celebrate their WNBA Championship after winning over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (Photo credits to Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – In just their second season, the Golden State Valkyries are the 2026 WNBA Champions. On Halloween night, things got real spooky in Ballhalla. The Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream returned to the Bay Area for one final WNBA Finals game. Game 7: the winner takes it all. Both teams are looking for their first franchise championship, but one of these teams must go home with the loss. So, with that being said, the Golden State Valkyries would beat the Atlanta Dream in game seven, at home, 68-63.

Game six of the WNBA Finals was in Atlanta, where the Dream would get the win, 80-69, to push a game seven Saturday. In the loss, the Valkyries’ Gabby Williams would lead the team with her 26 points. While Atlanta’s Alisha Gray would drop 23 points in their win. Atlanta would also go off and score 22 points in the 4th quarter alone.

Head coach Natalie Nakase knew the championship was on the line. So coach Nakase was not gonna risk it and put Tiffany Hayes in the starting lineup. Hayes has been a vital part of the Valkyries offense all year, and with one win away from becoming champions. Golden State was ready and wanting to strike first in this finale. As far as that, it would be the same starters with Gabby Williams, Kiah Stokes, Veronica Burton, and Kaila Charles.

Atlanta Dream wouldn’t change much to their starting lineup. Head coach Karl Smesko sent out Angel Reese, Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Naz Hillmon as the starting five. Atlanta is also looking for their first WNBA Championship with this win. In this series, Dream would win just one game in Chase Center, and that was game two of the WNBA Finals, 79-65.

Valkyries Veronica Burton wasted no time and wanted Golden State to strike first in this win-or-lose game. She would score the first basket of the evening with a floater inside, and then on the transition to defense. Kiah Stokes would get her first block of the night, and just get the fans to erupt in Chase Center. Then just one possession later, Stokes would make her presence felt and get two blocks in the first three minutes of the game.

Atlanta would miss their first eight shots to start the game, but that wouldn’t let their spirits down. After the first six minutes of the first quarter, Dream would get their first basket and then go on a quick 4-0 scoring run. The score after that would be 8-4, then Atlanta’s Alisha Gray would knock down a three-pointer, the first of the night, and cut the lead to one, 8-7.

At the end of the first quarter, Veronica Burton would still carry that energy and end the quarter by beating the buzzer with a floater. Burton would have 6 points, on 3-for-4 shooting, and with one block. Golden State would go the entire first quarter without making any three-pointers, and the score would be 14-12; the Valkyries hold the lead. Both of these teams are known for having great defense and take pride in it, and shows on these quarters in this series have been low.

In the second quarter, Dream would start it off by going on a 5-0 scoring run and retaking the lead. They would turn that 5-point run into a 9-point run while the Valkyries were starting to see some struggles with their shooting. Golden State would go almost six minutes without scoring a point, and Atlanta’s lead would go to 24-17. Valkyries Kayla Thornton would make the first three-pointer for the team. With the made shot, Golden State so far would be 1-for-11 from shooting beyond the arc.

At halftime, Atlanta would remain to hold the lead over Golden State at 30-24. Dream’s Jordin Canada would have 13 points and 3 rebounds. Angel Reese was also showing flashes of her game in this finale as she had 5 points and 7 rebounds. Valkyries’ Veronica Burton led the team in the first half with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.

In the third quarter, Jordin Canada would start it off by making a three-pointer to set the tone for Atlanta as the game entered the final half before a champion was crowned. Halfway through the quarter, Atlanta’s lead would jump to 9 points, 37-28. Then, Gabby Williams would take over, with Kiah Stokes leading the charge by making a layup to cut the lead to 7 points. The Valkyries would erupt in the final four minutes and put up 21 points. Williams would put up 15 points alone in the third quarter, and by the end of it. The score was 45-44; the Valkyries held the lead by 1 point.

Going into the final quarter of the 2026 WNBA season. Everything was on the line for both of these teams as they’re just moments and within reach of getting their teams their first championship. Valkyries Tiffany Hayes would show off her aggressiveness and power her way to a layup and give the Valkyries a 3-point lead, 49-46. Then Williams would get fouled and make both of her free throws, and now Golden State is up by 5 points, 51-46.

Atlanta was showing off their perseverance and not giving up on this game. Dream’s Alisha Gray would make a fadeaway jump shot and tie the game, 53-53, with five minutes remaining. Then Rhyne Howard would foul Gabby Williams, and Williams would make both of the shots, 55-53. Williams would put all her effort on the court, as she went on a 9-0 scoring run by herself. With a minute left, Golden State had the lead, 62-57.

Thirty-four seconds left, Atlanta is down and on a Hail Mary shot. Allisha Gray would make a 23-foot three-pointer to cut the lead to 4 points, 64-60. However, with time not on their side and with the crowd screaming. Atlanta’s hope of winning was getting smaller. Eventually, Veronica Burton would get the final blow on the Atlanta Dream as she would get fouled on a shot and make both of the shots. With that, the final score of the game and the 2026 WNBA season would be 68-63.

Gabby Williams would be the 2026 WNBA Finals MVP. Williams has made history throughout the Finals; she led Golden State with 19.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.6 SPG. With 137 total points and 18 total steals, she set a new WNBA Finals record for the most points and steals in a single Finals series. In this game seven finale, she finishes with 30 points, 4 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals. So with that, the 2026 WNBA Champions are the Golden State Valkyries. They are now the fastest expansion team in league history to win a Championship.

Valkyries Win Game 5 of the WNBA Finals over Atlanta, 64-55, & one Win away from WNBA Championship

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) blocks a shot against Atlanta Dream’s Naz Hillmon (00) in the second quarter for Game 5 of the WNBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. (Photo credits to Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries returned to Ballhalla after beating the Atlanta Dream in game 4 of the WNBA Finals. With the series tied 2-2, Atlanta and Golden State met in game 5, each trying to take the series lead. However, the Valkyries would beat the Dream, 64-55, and Golden State is now just one win away from the franchise’s first-ever WNBA Championship in the team’s second year in the WNBA.

Atlanta Dream headed back to the Bay to face off against the Valkyries after losing game 4 at home. The Valkyries were able to get a win on the road and tied the series at 2-2. The Valkyries beat Dream, 67-62 in game 4 on Saturday, October 24th. Rhyne Howard led the team with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist. Even though the team lost, head coach Karl Smesko didn’t change his starters, so he sent out Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, and Angel Reese to start game 5.

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase didn’t change Golden State starters. Coach Nakase sent Kaila Charles, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes, Gabby Williams, and Veronica Burton to start game 5. Williams led the team in their Game 4 win with 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. Also, Valkyries Kiah Stokes made history in the WNBA Finals, with 16 rebounds and 3 blocks in the last game. She set the record for the most blocks in the finals.

Golden State’s Kiah Stokes got the game going with the first basket of the evening, with a made layup. Then Veronica Burton would keep the scoring going with another bucket in the paint. These first two buckets got the crowd and Ballhalla rocking early. The first quarter after this was all defense. Both teams were making it hard for each other to score. Both teams wouldn’t be able to get a three-pointer to go in until almost the last two minutes of the quarter.

Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton would make the team’s first three-pointer with two minutes left in the first quarter, after getting a hard foul from Angel Reese. Reese was trying to create space in the paint, and elbowed Thornton in the face. So, Thornton’s three-pointer would give the Valkyries the lead, but Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard would end the first quarter with a made three-pointer, Atlanta’s first three-pointer of the night. At the end of the first quarter, Atlanta leads Golden State, 14-13.

Going into the second quarter, it was both of the team’s lowest-scoring performances. Golden State would only drop 12 points, while Atlanta would only drop 8 points in the second quarter. However, at the start, Valkyries Veronica Burton would score the team’s first 5 points by herself. She would be the start of the team’s 9-2 scoring run, and the team went 4-of-5 on their first five shot attempts. After that, the Valkyries would miss nine shots in a row in a span of five minutes.

Both teams were struggling on their offense and shooting in the first half. However, the low-scoring performances from the teams were mainly due to both teams’ defense. These two teams were ranked the top two defensive teams in the WNBA. At halftime, Golden State would have the lead over Atlanta, 25-22. Burton would lead the Valkyries so far with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.

The third quarter was the takeover and spark the Valkyries needed, especially playing back at home after playing the last two games of the series in Atlanta. Golden State would explode for 21 points alone in the 3rd quarter. In the first two minutes of the 3rd quarter, the Valkyries would go on a quick 7-0 scoring run, and this was the start of the Valkyries taking game 5 from Dream.

Halfway through the 3rd quarter, Atlanta would get the closest to tying the game with Golden State by being down by 3 points, 34-31. However, Kiah Stokes would take over and put up two blocks by herself in the 3rd quarter, and also drop 8 points alone. Her efforts and, at the buzzer to end the 3rd, Burton would be able to get a floater to go in before the buzzer and make the score 46-40. Golden State made sure that Atlanta would feel their defensive pressure in game 4, as the Valkyries would have 8 blocks as a team before the final quarter.

Going into the final ten minutes of the game, Golden State’s shooting would see a slight increase, but just enough to take over and start to hold a commanding lead over Atlanta. The Valkyries’ defense would hold the Dream’s shooting to 14-of-51 (27%). Although Atlanta wasn’t gonna just give up, especially with the series being the championship. Dream’s Jordin Canada would immediately score at the start and cut Valkyrie’s lead to four points, 46-42.

Right after Canada’s made basket, on Atlanta’s next offensive possession, Valkyrie’s Burton would get a block on Allisha Gray and set up Gabby Williams for a driving layup and get fouled. Williams would get a 3-point play and extend Golden State’s lead, 49-42. Then, Kiah Stokes wasn’t done for the night as she made her third three-pointer of the night and gave the Valkyries their largest lead of the night, 52-42.

At the halfway mark of the final quarter, Valkyries Cecilia Zandalasini would make a turnaround jump shot and push the lead to 12 points, 56-44. Then, in the final two minutes, Golden State was starting to enter victory formations while Atlanta’s dreams of winning game 5 were becoming just a dream. The score would be 60-46, Valkyries holding the lead. Then, in a final act of desperation, Atlanta would be able to make two back-to-back three-pointers in the last minute, 62-52.

However, the Valkyries’ lead was too big for Atlanta, and the clock was not on their side. Golden State would get the win in game 5 of the WNBA Finals. The Valkyries are now leading the series, 3-2, with the final score being 64-55. Kiah Stokes now has six straight games with 3+ blocks, tied with Lisa Leslie (2003) for the longest streak in a single postseason in WNBA playoff history. Also, Veronica Burton led the team with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks. Burton’s four blocks tie Diana Taurasi (2009) as the most blocks by a guard in a WNBA Finals game. This was also her career high in blocks

With one more win for the Valkyries on becoming the 2026 WNBA Champions, they’ll head on the road for game 6 with possibilities of ending it in Atlanta. The Atlanta Dream are now playing the rest of the championship series with a “do-or-die” mentality. Game 6 of the WNBA Finals will be on Thursday, October 29th, at 9:30 a.m., and will be broadcast live on Peacock and USA Network.

Valkyries lose Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, Atlanta Dream ties the series 1-1

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

SAN FRANCISCO – Atlanta Dream Angel Reese (#5) shows her excitement as the Atlanta Dream win Game 2 of the WNBA Finals in a WNBA basketball game at Chase Center in San Francisco, CA, on October 19th, 2026(Photo credit: Getty Images)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – Ballhalla welcomed and hosted Game 2 of the WNBA Finals between the Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream. The Valkyries took Game 1 on Saturday afternoon, 68-64. But a new day, a new game, and Atlanta lived up to it as the Dream got their first win of the Finals on the road over Golden State, 79-65. This loss was the Valkyries’ first time at home in this postseason, while the win for Atlanta was their first-ever Finals win.

After getting Golden State’s first-ever win in the WNBA Finals. Head coach Natalie Nakase has a lot of pride and respect for her starters, so she didn’t wanna change any of that. Nakase started Kayla Thornton, Cecilia Zandalasini, Kiah Stokes, Gabby Williams, and Veronica Burton. Williams scored a game-high 26 points for Golden State to give them the 1-0 series lead.

Atlanta’s head coach Karl Smesko, in his second year coaching in the WNBA, wasn’t concerned about the Dream’s Game 1 loss to the Valkyries. Coach Smesko believes and knows his team can make their shots in Game 1 when it was crunch time, but Atlanta couldn’t get over Golden State’s defense. So Coach Smesko went with the same group for the starters: Naz Hillmon, Angel Reese, Allisha Gray, Jordin Canada, and Rhyne Howard.

In the first quarter of the game, things were looking great for the Valkyries. Atlanta’s Angel Reese would get the game going with a made layup to have the Dream strike first in Ballhalla. Golden State’s Kaila Charles would sub in and, in just three minutes, would have 6 points after making two three-pointers for the Valkyries. At the end of the first quarter, Charles’ shooting off the bench helped give the Valkyries the lead, 21-18.

Heading into the second quarter, Atlanta was starting to build a rhythm, and they went with it. Especially with help from Angel Reese and Alisha Gray. Gray scored 8 points, and Reese scored 7 points by themselves. Gray also knocked down two big three-pointers for Atlanta, and their shooting gave the Dream the lead. Heading into halftime, the score was 39-37; the Valkyries were down by 2 points.

Coming back from halftime, the Valkyries were struggling in the third quarter. Golden State dropped 16 points in the second quarter, but came back in the third. The Valkyries were only able to score just 9 points. Atlanta took advantage of the Valkyries’ poor shooting and was able to extend their lead and play comfortably in Chase Center. Also, the Valkyries would foul the Dream seven times alone in the third quarter; they would finish with 23 fouls by the end of the game. Right before the end, Atlanta’s Jordin Canada would make a three-pointer at the logo to get her team hyped going into the final quarter of play.

In the final quarter, Atlanta’s lead was starting to get bigger over Golden State. Four minutes in, Dream got their largest lead in the night over the Valkyries by 21 points, 69-48. The Valkyries were having a hard time not fouling, and their shots weren’t going in for them. With under a minute left in the game, the Valkyries were down by 15 points. With time not on their side, the Valkyries were trying to move fast, but Jordin Canada got fouled with 40 seconds left and was able to put away Golden State for Atlanta.

The Atlanta Dream came back into Ballhalla and got the win in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals. Atlanta was led by Angel Reese, who recorded a double-double: 30 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Reese’s performance helped Atlanta tie the series with Golden State. Valkyries will play Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta. Game 3 will be on October 21st at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Peacock, USA Network, and CNBC.

Valkyries take Game 1 of the WNBA Finals over Dream, 68-64

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Valkyries Kaitlyn Chen makes a pass in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream in Chase Center on Saturday, October 17th, in San Francisco, CA. (Photo credit to GETTY Images)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries’ first-ever appearance in the WNBA Finals ends with a win over the Atlanta Dream, 68-64. After sweeping the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, the Valkyries will host the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals. The finals require a team to win four games in this series, with Golden State taking the first game. The Valkyries are three more wins away from being the WNBA Champions.

Atlanta makes their way to San Francisco after sweeping the New York Liberty in game 3. So for the first time since 2013, the Atlanta Dream are in the WNBA Finals. Angel Reese led the team with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Also, with no Allisha Gray, DeWanna Bonner stepped up big for them with a double-double on 13 points and 13 rebounds.

With tip-off being in the afternoon, the Valkyries and the Dream were ready to get the WNBA Finals going. Returning from her injury with Atlanta, Allisha Gray would get the first basket of the day on a driving layup. The first quarter would be a slow quarter for the two teams. However, with this series being the championship series, both teams are trying to analyze one another and find gaps in the defense to score. Atlanta would have the lead over Golden State at the end of the 1st quarter, 22-14.

In the second quarter, it was all Golden State. The Valkyries exploded for a 28-point quarter to end the first half. That 28-point performance had a lot to do with Gabby Williams for Golden State. Three minutes into the second quarter, Williams had dropped 10 points by herself in that timeframe. Then right after that, Cecilia Zandalasini would go on and drop 5 points, by herself, and bring the score to 32-30, halfway through the second quarter. Right at the two-minute mark, Golden State would take the lead off of a made 3-pointer from Gabby Williams, 40-37.

At halftime, Golden State would hold the lead at 42-39 over Atlanta. Valkyries Gabby Williams would have 16 points altogether by the end of the first half. Williams has now become only the sixth player in WNBA Finals history to record 15+ points in a quarter. Angel Reese for Atlanta so far in this game has 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Starting the third quarter, Atlanta came out with new energy and a sharper focus. The score would see multiple ties and lead changes all the way to the final minute of the third quarter. Three minutes in the quarter, Rhyne Howard would do a spin, fadeaway shot and make it while falling to the ground. Her efforts gave Dream the lead back, 46-44. The biggest lead for Atlanta this quarter was 6 points, 50-44, with four and a half minutes left. The Valkyries saw some struggles in this quarter, scoring just 9 points altogether.

Going into the final quarter of Game 1 in the WNBA Finals, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard would get fouled, shoot, and make both of her free throws, extending the lead to 7 points, 58-51. Then Tiffany Hayes from Golden State would make a crucial 3-pointer from 26 feet to cut the lead to 58-55. Her shot got the Valkyries’ offense going and ultimately took over the game. The Valkyries would put up 17 points over Atlanta’s 8 points in the final quarter.

With two minutes and thirty-eight seconds left, Atlanta had the lead 64-61. However, Gabby Williams for Golden State would score the final six of the seven points of the game. She would finish the game with 26 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists to help Golden State take Game 1 and a 1-0 series lead. She also ties for the 4th most points by a player in the Finals debut in WNBA History.

The Golden State Valkyries and the Atlanta Dream are gonna have a one-day rest, as they get ready for Game 2 on Monday evening. The game will start at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Peacock, USA Network, and CNBC.

WNBA Final/Golden State Valkyrie podcast Michael Roberson: Gabby, Thornton, and Stokes ready to battle Atlanta

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase (left) works with Gabby Williams (right) at the Sephora Performance Facilty in Oakland on Mon Oct 12, 2026 in prepartion of meeting the Atlanta Dream in game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Sat Oct 17, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco. (AP News photo)

Golden State Valkyrie podcast Michael Roberson:

#1 Can Gabby Williams lead the Golden State Valkyries past the Atlanta Dream’s elite defense?

#2 How will Kayla Thornton and Kia Stokes contain Angel Reese on the boards?

#3 Can Veronca Burton disrupt Atlanta’s backcourt and control the pace?

#4 Will Tiffany Hayes deliver a Finals performance against his former team?

#5 Can Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini provide the perimeter shooting Golden State needs?

Michael Roberson does the Golden State Valkyrie podcasts during the WNBA Finals at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Valkyries 1 Win away from WNBA Finals, beating Aces in Game 2, 83-81

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Valkryies Veronica Burton (22) takes the ball up the floor against the Las Vegas Aces in game 2 round 2 of the WNBA semi finals at Chase Center in San Francisco on Wed Oct 7, 2026

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries take Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces, 83-81. After winning games 1 and 2, the series is now 2-0, and the Valkyries are one win away from their first trip to the WNBA Finals in franchise history. The Valkyries held a 17-point lead, but the Aces didn’t back down and were in Ballhalla. However, in the final minutes, the Valkyries were able to hang on and get the win, 83-81.

Las Vegas added a new face to their starting lineup with A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Brianna Turner, and Stephanie Talbot. After missing Game 1, Stephanie Talbot has been listed as active. Talbot has been out since August 27th due to a left leg injury. However, Talbot was cleared and ready to play.

As for Golden State, they didn’t change their starters and went with Kayla Thornton, Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini, Kiah Stokes, and Gabby Williams. Williams led the team with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Valkyries dominated the rebound game in their Game 1 victory; Golden State finished with 52 total rebounds over Las Vegas’ 25.

Valkyries Kayla Thornton gets the game going with a deep three-pointer, having Golden State strike first in Game 2 of the Semifinals. Golden State would hold Las Vegas scoreless for the first two minutes until Chelsea Gray made a three-pointer and gave the Aces their first points of the night. Valkyries Kayla Thornton would get another three-pointer to go in, her second one in the first five minutes of the game. The score halfway through the first quarter would be 10-5.

By the end of the first quarter, Golden State is up and holding the lead at 19-11. The Valkyries are still winning the rebound battle over the Aces; Golden State has 8 rebounds compared to Las Vegas’ 4. Also, Valkyries Kayla Thornton still hasn’t missed a shot from beyond the arc, going 2-of-2. Chelsea Gray and A’ja Wilson were the only players to score for the Aces.

Tiffany Hayes for Golden State started the second quarter scoring 5 straight points for them. Hayes ‘ 5-point eruption pushed the Valkyries’ lead to 13 points, 26-13. Hayes wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down; she would have 10 points in 3 minutes. At the midpoint of the second quarter, Valkyries still held a 13-point lead, 34-21.

Two back-to-back shooting fouls on Golden State, which Las Vegas quickly took advantage of. The Aces brought the lead down to single digits, a 9-point lead, 39-30. However, Thornton would strike again and make her third three-pointer of the night, and she remains shooting perfectly from deep. At the end of the first half, Valkyries held the lead by 11 points, 42-31.

Starting the third quarter, the Aces would come out ready and score 5 points in their first two possessions. They were able to bring the lead back within single digits, but the Valkyries’ shooting woke up. Valkyries Gabby Williams would make a 27-foot three-pointer to push the lead back to double digits for Golden State, 52-39.

Four minutes left of the third, Tiffany Hayes subs back in, and within 30 seconds of her playing, she would drop 4 points in that time span. Hayes would have 16 points and 2 steals with twelve minutes of game time left. On a positive note for the Aces, A’ja Wilson would drop 14 points in the third quarter, trying all her efforts to get Las Vegas back in the game. However, Golden State has led the entire time of this game.

Going into the final quarter of Game 2, the score was 66-55; the Valkyries were holding an 11-point lead on the Aces. Aces Jackie Young would get it going with a three-pointer, but the Valkyries responded with Kaitlyn Chen getting back-to-back layups to go in. Golden State would have a hard time containing Wilson down in the post, and she was able to get some shots to go in for her and the Aces. She would be able to cut the lead to 6 points, 70-64.

In the final four minutes of the game, each possession deeply mattered for both of these teams. The Aces were down as much as 17 and were now down by 5 points, 73-68. Then, with two minutes left, Las Vegas would make back-to-back three-pointers and tie the game, 74-74. Right after, Aces took their first lead of the night with A’ja Wilson getting a layup to go in, but Valkyries Williams responded with a midrange jumper.

One minute left, tied basketball game, 76-76. Valkyries Veronica Burton would make a big three-pointer to give Golden State their lead back, 79-76. That was the team’s 10th three-pointer of the night. Now, with nine seconds left on the clock, the Aces are down by three with the ball. Gray gets fouled, and since Las Vegas is in the bonus, Gray is sent to the free-throw line and makes both of her shots.

Gray brought the score 79-78, Valkyries holding a 1 point lead. The Aces had no choice but to foul the Valkyries; Kayla Thornton would shoot both of the free throws and make them. The score is now 81-78, so Las Vegas called their final timeout with one last shot to tie the game. Valkyries Burton would foul Aces Jackie Young, sending Young to the free-throw line, and Young made both of them, bringing the score to 81-80.

In the final possession of the game, Aces Jackie Young got sent to the free-throw line. Young would make the first one, but miss the second one. Her missing the second free-throw shot gave Las Vegas one more chance to tip it back in on the miss. However, the Valkyries were able to hang on and secure the rebound on Young’s miss and win the game.

Golden State Valkyries Tiffany Hayes had 21 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in their win. Games 3 and 4 will head to Las Vegas, Nevada, as the Valkyries will take on the Aces in their home. Game 3 will be on Friday, October 9th, at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on Peacock and NBCSN.

WNBA Semi Finals/Golden State Valkyrie game wrap: Valkyries trumped the Aces (card) 71-60, on a Sunday Afternoon inside Ballhalla; take Game 1 of semifinals

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby William (1) drives to the basket agianst the Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) during first half action during round 2 game 1 of the WNBA semi finals at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sun Oct 4, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif–Gabby Williams’ 25 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists, led her Golden State Valkyries (1-0) to a 71-60 victory over the Las Vegas Aces (0-1) in Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals at another sold out Chase Center Sunday.

The Aces scored the first points of the game with a 3-pointer by Chelsea Gray.  That lead would be their largest of the game.  The 10-minute battle would have seven lead changes and 3 ties.  The Valkyries led by as many as four points in  the initial quarter,  Gabby Williams (13) and A’ja Wilson (10) both scored in double digits for their respective teams.

After ten minutes of WNBA action, the home team led by four points, 22-18. Noticeably, Wilson was kept off the boards early in the game, and the Valkyries were on the offensive boards.Although it was the feeling out period, Golden State would eventually open up the advantage to double-figures.

In the second stanza the Valkyries’ lead did get up to 11 points.  However, the Aces showed the pride of a champion and cut the deficit to three by the end of the quarter.  Both Williams and Wilson added five points to their totals by the recess whistle.  The Valkyries led by three points at the half, 34-31 Williams (18) and Wilson (15) also led their teams in scoring after 20 minutes of play, but the rebounding machine, A’ja Wilson only had one at that juncture.

In the second half, Golden State increased their lead to double-digits again, in the third (10) and fourth (13) quarters.  During the third quarter, Golden State immediately went up by seven points, prompting Becky Hammond to call a timeout. 

Later the Valkyries went up by 10 points, but the Aces kept fighting. By quarter’s end, the Ballhalla residents held on to an eight-point lead, 56-48. The two aforementioned team leaders garnered 20 points at the 30-minute mark of the contest.In addition to those two stars, Kiah Stokes grabbed ten rebounds for the Valkyries, and Chelsea Gray put up 15 points for the Aces.

In the final quadrant, the Valkyries went up by13 points, but still had to hold on to the lead by the final buzzer.  Despite the multiple double-figures leads throughout the game, each quarter was within five points of each other..  The final score was an accumulation of all the small leads and wound up being an 11-point final score, 71-60.

Golden State dominated the boards 52-25, with offensive rebounds going their way 17-2.  Those two glaring disparities were essential in the Game 1 victory for the Valkyries.  Especially with superstar A’ja Wilson being held to only 4 total rebounds.

The Valkyries presented two players with double-digit scoring, and thee with that plateau in rebounding. Gabby Williams accomplished both (25 points) and 11 rebounds), while Kaitlyn Chen scored 11 points, Kayla Thornton secured 11 rebounds, and Kiah Stokes snatched down 14 carrums.  

The Aces had three players reaching 10+ points, but absolutely no one with that amount of rebounds.  A’ja Wilson led them with 24 points, Chelsea Gray (16) and Jackie Young contributed 11 points of her own.

The two combattants will meet up again for Game 2 of the semifinals, Wednesday, October 7 inside Chase Center at 6:30 PM PT on the Peacock/NBC Sports Network.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: WNBA Caitlin Clark popularity is a Double-edged Sword

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

WNBA Caitlin Clark popularity is a double-edged sword
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
By Amaury Pi-González

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) is regarded as the face of the WNBA and has taken some heat for it. (AP file photo)

For 30 years, since its founding in 1996, the WNBA operated in obscurity, with very low television ratings and financial struggles. Then, in 2024, something happened that completely changed the league for the better. The Indiana Fever #1 pick was Caitlin Clark.

Clark has become the league’s most famous player and has also become the most controversial; she is white, and the WNBA is no more than 15% white.

Although many good players increased the league’s popularity before Caitlin Clark arrived, she was the catalyst that pushed the WNBA over the top, greatly increasing attendance and television ratings and boosting overall revenue that benefits players.

Caitlin Clark and her number 22 jersey for the Indiana Fever are the most popular and best-selling in the WNBA. Her #22 is the best seller ever in the women’s league, similar to what Michael Jordan’s #23 did with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. Nearly the entire WNBA is jealous of Caitlin Clark and trying to destroy her, said Ben Daniel Podcast TV.

The average WNBA player salary is about $583,800 to $600,000, thanks to the historic 2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Before Caitlin Clark arrived, the average salary was $100,000 or less, as many players held second jobs. While $100,000 is a “comfortable” living in places like Indiana, it is not in New York, California, or other parts of the country.

The WNBA has a significantly larger LGBTQ+ fan base than most other professional sports leagues. The league has embraced this demographic and made it part of its identity.

Highly rated ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith frequently called Caitlin Clark a “cash cow” and audience driver for the WNBA.

So why is Caitlin Clark a double-edged sword? Obviously, she has done great for women’s basketball and for the once-struggling league, but at the same time, there is jealousy among players, as well as racism and other ugly stuff that surfaces in the territory brought by great financial success. The money into the WNBA has been good, but along with it brought other stuff, I would say its like “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.

Another Women’s Professional Sports League coming soon to San Francisco.

Looks like San Francisco is on a roll when it comes to women’s sports. The San Francisco Signal is a new professional women’s indoor volleyball team, debuting in January 2027. The San Francisco Signal will play its home matches at the historic Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in downtown San Francisco.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.

⚡Craft cocktails? Check.
🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah.
🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.

Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.

Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.

📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street

Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm

Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in. 

Golden State advances to Semi-Finals, defeats Dallas 77-73 & set to face the Las Vegas Aces

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Golden State Valkyries forward (#1) Gabby Williams, right, shoots against Dallas Wings guard (#5) Paige Bueckers during the first half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (Photo credits to AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – On the first Friday night of October in Ballhalla, the Golden State Valkyries faced a win-or-go-home situation against the Dallas Wings in the 2026 WNBA First Round playoffs. The Valkyries had an explosive fourth-quarter performance, putting up 23 points. Their efforts and the team’s determination punched their ticket to the WNBA semifinals. Golden State Valkyries would take the series over the Dallas Wings 2-1 in the First Round.

Back in Game 2 of this round one battle between Golden State and Dallas. The Wings took advantage of playing on their home court and got the Win. Dallas Arike Ogunbowale dropped 45 points in that game to keep the Wings’ postseason alive. While the Valkyries Gabby Williams retaliated with 19 points in that one, it wasn’t enough for Golden State.

The Wings sent out Paige Bueckers, Jessica Shepard, Maddy Siegrist, Arike Ogunbowale, and Awak Kuier for their starting five with hopes of the team moving on to the next round. The Wings are trying to reach the semifinals for the second time in six postseason appearances since moving to the Dallas area in 2016. Paige Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year who is in her first playoff series, dropped 10 points and four assists in game 2.

Golden State’s Friday night starting five to keep their postseason alive is Veronica Burton, Kiah Stokes, Gabby Williams, Kayla Thornton, and Cecilia Zandalasini. The Valkyries are trying to advance in the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s second season. The Valkyries record in Ballhalla this season and in the postseason is 16-5 heading into this game.

In the first quarter, Dallas took it to Golden State. The Valkyries have a history of playing better basketball at home, so the Wings wanted to come at them and put Golden State in an awkward position to start the game. On every shot attempt, Dallas would crash the paint and fight for the rebound. The Wings were securing rebounds early in the game, which led to them getting points on the board through second chances.

At halftime, Dallas had the lead over Golden State, 44-37. Both teams were struggling shooting from deep; both of them were shooting under 23% at the three-point line. However, Wing’s Arike Ogunbowale powers a late second-quarter surge to open up a 7-point halftime lead on the Valkyries. Ogunbowale would put up 17 points by herself in the first half.

Going into the third quarter, Golden State was still struggling on their offense and was letting Dallas set the tone coming back from halftime. Although the Wings had more turnovers than the Valkyries, Dallas had 6 and Golden State had 3. The Wings were still making shots in the paint while the Valkyries couldn’t get anything to fall early in the third quarter.

Halfway in the third quarter, the Valkyries missed their last 12 shot attempts, which led the Wings to push their lead to double digits. Dallas went on an 18-0 scoring run during the Valkyries shooting struggle, with six minutes left. The Wings’ lead would jump to 16 points, 53-37. Valkyries would also go 2-15 in the third quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, the score would be 59-54, with Dallas holding the lead over Golden State. However, the Valkyries were starting to see shots going in, and that finally set the spark they needed to get back in this game. With Golden State playing catch-up in the final minutes, Kaila Charles would make a big three-pointer to tie the game 65-65, halfway in the fourth quarter.

With four minutes left in the game, Valkyries Tiffany Hayes would foul Arike Ogunbowale, which would send her to the free-throw line. Ogunbowale would make both of her free throws and give Dallas back the lead, 70-67. Going into the final two minutes, Golden State would go on an 8-0 scoring run; 6 of those points belong to Gabby Williams.

With no timeouts left for Dallas as the game enters the final thirteen seconds, with the Valkyries holding a 1-point lead over the Wings, 73-72. Gabby Williams would try her best to put Dallas away. The Valkyries would give Williams the ball, and she would drive it to the paint, get fouled, and make her free throws. She would extend Golden State’s lead to three points, 75-72. In Dallas’s final moments of hope, Paige Buckers would miss a running pull-up 3-point jumper.

As the clock winds down, the Golden State Valkyries claim the final spot in the WNBA Semi-Finals. Golden State was led by Veronica Burton, who put up 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. This playoff series win is the first ever in franchise history for Golden State. The Valkyries will face reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line.

WNBA Playoffs: Aces Outlast Fever In a Wild Game Three 94-83

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) is pressured by the Indiana Fever’s forward Makayla Timpson (21) and guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) in round one game three at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Thu Oct 1,2026 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

Thursday night the Las Vegas Aces took game three of the WNBA Playoffs beating the Indiana Fever in Game 3 of a winner -take-all first round series 94-83. The Aces had home court advantage in this contest, the most important game so far this season for Las Vegas.

The Aces will move on while the Fever’s season came to an abrupt end. This was a battle between two of the greatest players to ever take the court, veteran A’Ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark. It was a real battle that went down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

This was a battle from the very start in the opening quarter ending with a 31-31 tie after the first ten minutes of play. The two teams traded baskets with both teams created a little distance.

The defending champs were favored by 4 1/2 points in this nail biter.. At the half the Aces had a 54-48 lead. Las Vegas continued to lead 70-65 as the third quarter came to an end although the Fever had cut the Aces lead in half.

As expected the fourth quarter was a wild one, a real nail-biter as the Fever continued to challenge with the Aces continuing to fight back. The final minute of the game was crazy with the Aces taking an 86-82 lead with 46 ticks left in the game.

Wilson was fouled by Boston, Wilson hitting both free throws giving her team an 88-83 lead. This was the time for the Aces to hunker down with 35 seconds left on the clock. Chelsea Gray was fouled to finish off this game off making both free throws. Las Vegas ran the clock out and is headed to the semi-finals winning game three.

GAME RECAP

This game got underway in front of a packed house at Michelob ULTRA Arena; The two teams traded baskets back and forth throughout the first ten minutes of play. Neither team was able to take any sort of lead going into the second quarter, this game tied at 31.

The game began to slowly turn around for the Aces in the second quarter. It was close to the six minute mark when the Aces took a four-point lead 40-36. With under four minutes left in the half the score was once again tied at 42. The Aces plugged away advancing their lead a little at a time taking a 51-43 lead with one minute left on the clock. At halftime Las Vegas had taken a 54-48 lead.

Las Vegas extended their lead in the third quarter; their largest lead of the game was twelve points. The Fever began to push back in the final minutes of the third quarter cutting the Vegas lead to six 68-62. The Fever went on a 9-1 run with 30 seconds left in the quarter. Going into the fourth quarter the Aces were hanging onto a 70-65 lead. Las Vegas was ten-minutes away from advancing to the next round.

It would all come down to the final quarter to decide the winner of this series. In the past Las Vegas had stumbled in the fourth quarter of games but has since cleaned that up. It would be a fight to the final seconds of the game. The outcome of the game would rest on the Aces defense. Keeping a handle on the Fever would be no easy task; two teams bent on winning game three and advancing.

The Aces had to continued to answer when the Fever got within two points 72-70. It would be the longest fourth quarter of the season for aces fans. Will the determination and grit of Las Vegas be enough?

Needless to say, the Arena was rocking as the Aces started to push their lead taking a 80-70 lead with four minutes left in the game. Into the fourth quarter the Fever’s big three Clark, Boston and Mitchell had scored 50 while the Aces leaders Wilson, Young and Grey had scored 63.

With just four minutes left in the game there was a lot of ball left to be played. We all expected a dog fight and these two teams sure delivered. With under three minutes the Aces had a 82-80 lead their offense faltering.

If possible the intensity of this game rose to an even higher level in the final minutes. It was Las Vegas that outlasted the Fever heading into the semi-finals winning game three.

GAME NOTES

Wilson did not want to go home that was apparent in this game three finishing with 36 points and ten rebounds for a double double in 37 minutes of play. Chelsea Gray had 23 points and Jackie Young had 18 points and eight rebounds. It was one epic game for Las Vegas.

The one thing Las Vegas was looking for was a better defensive effort and that’s just what they got. They controlled the game defensively. In Game 2 the Fever scored 99 points and in Game three the Aces held the Fever to 83.

The Aces made it a lot harder for Clark and Mitchell to generate the offense they had in Game 2. A’Ja Wilson despite being in foul trouble really bounced back from her performance in Game 2.

She was really involved Thursday night and forced Indiana to defend the paint. Jackie Young was important on both ends. She not only scored but also pressured Indiana’s perimeter players. Chelsea Gray was amazing in the fourth quarter actually taking over the second half.

The Aces did not have to entirely depend on Wilson but got some great support from their secondary scoring. That was something that really kept the Fever from loading up on Wilson.

Las Vegas will now wait to see who will be their opponent in the semi-finals. The Valkyries or the Wings will match-up Friday night. The Liberty will take on the Dream this coming Sunday and the Aces will wait to see who their opponent will be. Times for either of those game have not yet been determined.