The Las Vegas Aces finally got the start Becky Hammon wanted, but they could not hold it.
Las Vegas led by 11 in the third quarter, went nearly eight minutes without a field goal during a disastrous 17-0 Golden State run, fought back to force overtime and then watched the Valkyries take complete control of the extra period. Golden State won 87-77 Friday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena, completing a 3-0 semifinal sweep and ending the Aces’ season.
The Valkyries outscored Las Vegas 16-6 in overtime and advanced to the WNBA Finals in just their second season. They will face Atlanta. Las Vegas, the No. 3 seed, finished the postseason 2-4.
The start Hammon wanted
After spending the first two games of the series chasing Golden State from behind, Hammon made the priority clear before Game 3.
“We need a good start tonight,” she said. “And once we get that, I think we’ll be off to the races.”
The Aces delivered early. Las Vegas led 19-16 after the first quarter and pushed the advantage to 45-36 by halftime behind 15 first-half points from Chelsea Gray, who shot 5 of 6 from the field. The Aces shot 54 percent in the first half and led for nearly the entire 20 minutes.
The rebounding battle was also even at 16-16, a significant change from the first two games of the series. Las Vegas had the lead and the kind of start Hammon had asked for.
Everything changes in the third
A’ja Wilson opened the second half with two free throws to extend the lead to 47-36, but the offense suddenly disappeared.
Golden State ripped off a 17-0 run while Las Vegas missed shot after shot and repeatedly failed to generate clean offense. The Valkyries turned an 11-point deficit into a 53-47 lead as the Aces went 7:53 without a field goal to open the quarter.
Jackie Young finally broke the drought with a basket at the 2:07 mark, then hit a 3-pointer with 1:35 remaining to pull Las Vegas within one. Still, the damage had been done. Golden State won the quarter 17-7 and carried a 53-52 lead into the fourth.
Hammon had warned before the game that Las Vegas could not expect to beat Golden State with one-action possessions.
“You have to play with discipline offensively,” Hammon said. “I think we’ve had too many empty possessions.”
The third quarter became the clearest example of exactly what she wanted to avoid.
Aces fight for their season
With their season down to its final quarter, the Aces recovered.
Young hit a 3 to put Las Vegas back ahead, while Wilson repeatedly attacked the glass and free-throw line. Kalani Brown scored inside off a Gray assist, and Young completed a three-point play to give Las Vegas a 65-59 lead with 5:10 remaining.
Wilson later scored inside off a Dana Evans feed to make it 69-63, but Golden State answered with an 8-0 run. Kiah Stokes scored in the paint, Veronica Burton added four points and Kayla Thornton tied the game at 69 before Burton put the Valkyries ahead 71-69 with 1:12 remaining.
Las Vegas still had life. After a Young turnover, Wilson secured a defensive rebound to give the Aces another possession. Gray then found Young on the inbound play for the tying layup with 26.6 seconds left.
Golden State missed on the other end, and Wilson grabbed the rebound with 3.9 seconds remaining. The Aces used a reset timeout to set up one final chance, but Gray’s jumper rimmed out at the buzzer.
After four quarters, it was 71-71, and the Aces’ season went to overtime.
Golden State owns overtime
The Valkyries controlled the extra period from the opening possession.
Golden State grabbed two offensive rebounds before Tiffany Hayes finally scored, immediately reviving the second-chance problem that had followed Las Vegas throughout the series. The Aces went more than two minutes without scoring before Gray drove for her first points of the second half, cutting the deficit to 75-73.
That was as close as Las Vegas would get. Hayes answered, Gabby Williams attacked the rim and Golden State steadily pulled away. Williams’ jumper with 54.7 seconds remaining made it 81-73, and Aces fans began heading toward the exits as the season slipped away.
The Valkyries finished with a 43-35 rebounding advantage, including 10 offensive rebounds. They also forced 15 Las Vegas turnovers and scored 17 points off them. Golden State put the game away by outscoring the Aces 16-6 in overtime.
Big three never find enough rhythm
Wilson finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds but shot 6 of 19 from the field. Young had 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting, while Gray scored 17 on 6 of 12.
Together, Wilson, Young and Gray scored 56 of Las Vegas’ 77 points, but the Aces shot only 38 percent overall. Gray committed six turnovers and Young had five, costly numbers in a game decided by possessions.
Brown gave Las Vegas eight points and eight rebounds, including four offensive boards, while Evans added eight points in 27 minutes.
Golden State received a balanced effort. Thornton scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Williams finished with 16, and Stokes had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks without missing a field-goal attempt. Hayes added 11 points off the bench.
End of the road
Hammon said before the game that winning would require more than star power.
“It’s not the team with great players,” she said. “It’s the greatest team that wins, and we have to be the greatest team.”
For one half, Las Vegas looked capable of extending the series. Then came the 17-0 run, the missed shots, the turnovers and another night of Golden State finding extra possessions on the offensive glass.
The Aces fought hard enough to force overtime, but Golden State controlled the extra period from the opening possession. The Valkyries left Michelob ULTRA Arena headed to the WNBA Finals, while Las Vegas walked off its home floor with its season over.
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