The Golden State Valkyries are headed to the WNBA semifinals for the first time in franchise history after a 77-73 Game 3 win over the Dallas Wings. The first-round decider was part of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs and aired on ESPN2.
Golden State got there by climbing out of a 16-point second-half hole. The WNBA later described the win as an erased 16-point second-half deficit, and the league's series result post confirmed the Valkyries advanced 2-1.
Gabby Williams led the comeback
Gabby Williams finished with 19 points, four rebounds and two steals for Golden State. The WNBA's top-performer recap added that she scored 17 points in the second half and 11 in the fourth quarter.
The game tightened quickly late. During the third quarter, the WNBA posted that Golden State had pushed a 17-4 run over 5:18. Early in the fourth, the league said the Valkyries had extended that to a 22-8 run.
In the closing seconds, the WNBA posted that Golden State moved ahead 73-72 with 27.6 seconds left. Shortly after, an NBA update said the Valkyries led by three with seven seconds remaining.
Arike Ogunbowale kept Dallas alive until the end
Arike Ogunbowale scored 30 points in Game 3, the highest total of the night. The WNBA's next-day recap added that she had 75 points across the final two games of the series, the second-most in any two-game span in WNBA playoff history, according to that post.
Game 3 happened because Dallas had evened the series in Game 2 behind Ogunbowale's postseason-record 45-point performance. The WNBA said that outing included a game-tying 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left and 11 points in overtime.
What the result means
The win gave Golden State its first playoff series victory and the final spot in the semifinals. The WNBA's recap said the Valkyries will face the Aces on Sunday, Oct. 4.
For Dallas, the loss ended a series that turned on Ogunbowale's scoring outbursts in Games 2 and 3. For Golden State, it ended with a comeback that sent the franchise deeper into the postseason than it had gone before.
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