The first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs will come to a close Friday with a winner-take-all Game 3 between the Golden State Valkyries and Dallas Wings. The winner will earn the final spot in the semifinals and advance to take on the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, who eliminated the Indiana Fever in their own winner-take-all contest on Thursday. The Valkyries dominated Game 1 of this series at home, leading by as many as 36 en route to a 24-point win.
And when they jumped out to an early eight-point lead in Game 2, it seemed the same outcome was in store. Instead, Arike Ogunbowale poured in 45 points in the highest-scoring game in playoff history to lead the Wings to a comeback victory in overtime that evened the series. Now, the action shifts back to the Bay Area, where the Valkyries will try to win their first-ever playoff series, while the Wings will try to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2023.
What the Wings did on Wednesday night was incredible. After getting run out of the gym in Game 1, losing 104-80 in a game that didn't even feel that close, they produced the most shocking result of the playoffs -- yes, even more so than the Liberty beating the Lynx -- to down the Valkyries 108-100 in overtime, thanks primarily to Ogunbowale's performance for the ages. It was a playoff game that I will remember for years to come.
The Valkyries averaged 82.2 points per game this season, the second-lowest output in the league. Yet they allowed just 75.1 points per game, which meant they still scored enough to finish with the second-best regular-season record in the league. That shows you just how abnormal the Valkyries' Game 2 performance really was.
Gabby Williams, who finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting to Angel Reese and scored a career-high 36 points in the shootout, said she didn't recognize her team in Dallas, and coach Natalie Nakase concurred. "Giving up 108, that's uncalled for," Nakase said. "We got to keep them off the free-throw line.
That might be a record for us. So we have to be smarter. We've got to be there earlier and we've got to continue to fight together." I expect this to be a return-to-form game for the Valkyries, both offensively and defensively.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
