Golden State Valkyries eliminate Dallas Wings in Game 3, reach WNBA semifinals
The Golden State Valkyries closed out the Dallas Wings 77-73 on Friday, October 2, 2026, taking the deciding Game 3 of their best-of-three first-round series. The No. 2 seed Valkyries move on to face the No. 3 seed Las Vegas Aces in a best-of-five semifinal series that begins Sunday, October 4, according to CBS Sports. Golden State won the series 2-1 after routing Dallas 104-80 in Game 1 and dropping an overtime heartbreaker in Game 2.
Williams' quiet start turns into a decisive fourth quarter
Golden State trailed by 16 points in the second half before clawing all the way back, per CBS Sports. The Valkyries were outscored in the first two quarters — 19-14 and 25-23 — before winning the third quarter 17-15 and the fourth 23-14 to flip the game. Gabby Williams was the catalyst. She had scored just two points through the first half, according to CBS Sports, but exploded late to finish with 19 points, shooting 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, to go with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Williams wasn't alone. Tiffany Hayes came off the bench for 18 points, hitting 2-of-5 from deep and going 4-of-6 at the line, while posting a team-best plus-15 for the game. Veronica Burton added a near triple-double look with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, and Kiah Stokes anchored the paint with 13 rebounds and 3 blocks. Golden State got there despite a rough shooting night overall, hitting just 27-of-77 from the field and 9-of-29 from 3-point range, but the Valkyries still out-rebounded Dallas 40-36.
Golden State Valkyries 77 - 73 Dallas Wings · WNBA 2026-2027 · 03/10/2026
Leaders
| Golden State Valkyries | Dallas Wings | |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | Gabby Williams 19 | Arike Ogunbowale 30 |
| REB | Kiah Stokes 13 | Jessica Shepard 12 |
| AST | Veronica Burton 6 | Paige Bueckers 6 |
Team stats
| Golden State Valkyries | Dallas Wings | |
|---|---|---|
| FG | 35.1% | 44.1% |
| 3PTS | 9/29 | 5/16 |
| FT | 14/18 | 16/19 |
| REB | 40 | 36 |
| OREB | 14 | 6 |
Ogunbowale's 30 points not enough as Golden State advances to face Aces
Arike Ogunbowale gave Dallas everything she had, scoring 30 points on 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range and 8-of-15 on 2-pointers, adding 5 rebounds and 2 assists. It wasn't enough to extend the Wings' season. Two nights earlier, in a 108-100 overtime win that forced this Game 3, Ogunbowale had scored a WNBA playoff-record 45 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation, according to a WNBA.com recap of Game 2. That outburst eclipsed her own previous playoff best of 24 points.
Paige Bueckers chipped in 17 points on a perfect 10-of-10 from the free-throw line, with 6 assists and 2 blocks, and Jessica Shepard grabbed 12 rebounds to go with 12 points, but Dallas shot just 5-of-16 from beyond the arc and committed 10 turnovers to Golden State's 6. The Wings' season ends in the first round after a 2026 playoff run that included a Game 1 blowout loss and a record-breaking Game 2 overtime win.
Golden State now turns its attention to the Aces, who finished as the No. 3 seed in 2026. The semifinal series tips off Sunday, October 4, with the Valkyries looking to carry the momentum of their Game 3 comeback into the best-of-five matchup.
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