Valkyries Dominate Early Semifinal Shootouts Before Aces and Liberty Answer
The 2026 WNBA semifinals kicked off Sunday with two high-scoring openings, each decided by the higher-seeded squad.
Atlanta (No. 4) came out ahead of New York (No. 8), defeating them 92‑82 despite Alli‑shia Gray’s sudden loss of hands to a hand injury in the first half.
Golden State (No. 2) rallied to beat the reigning champion Las Vegas (No. 3) 71‑60, delivering the franchise’s first semifinal triumph.
Both best‑of‑five series will proceed to Wednesday night in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) and in San Francisco at 9:30 p.m. ET.
ESPN analysts Alexa Philippou and Kendra Andrews explain how each team captured control of their Games 1 and outline key developments for the remainder of the championship bracket.
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What the win means for the Valkyries: The team entered this series understanding how vital bench contributions would be. That pool surged with 27 points compared to the Aces’ modest five. Second‑leading scorer Kaitlin Chen added 11 points, while incoming defender Aminata Gueye sparked a breakout with nine points on 4‑of‑5 shooting while guarding A’ja Wilson. Though she played only ten minutes in the first round, she assumed a crucial role thanks to Las Vegas’ length. The secondary unit—anchored by Chen—proved essential after star Veronica Burton exited with seven minutes left in the third quarter.
Who needs to step up for the Aces? Health of starter Jewell Loyd is the pressing issue; she suffered a left‑leg sprain early in the third inning and was ruled out for the rest of the contest. Loyd went uncorrelated with two attempts and zero makes. Additionally, Alexis “NaLyssa” Smith, injured via a left leg sprain before the game, sits out entirely—leaving the Aces without a clear leading scorer. – Kendra Andrews
How the game was won: The Dream responded like a raging bull defensively, relentless in pressuring Liberty. After the Aces dominated the perimeter early, Atlanta generated 13 conversion opportunities from turnovers by halftime and added nine steals plus 16 points in the third quarter—a quarterly league record. Angle Reese and Jordin Canada each recorded three steals, while Canada tallied 12 points in the decisive frame.
New York trailed by as many as 16 points early in the fourth but managed to close within five, ultimately falling short.
What it means for the Dream: This result is ideal given the setback of Allisha Gray. While Atlanta’s lack of depth can become a liability, veteran contributors DeWanna Bonner and resilient Jordin Canada fueled a combined 48 points. Atlanta protected their home‑court advantage in the opener and aims to extend their 2‑0 lead over Brooklyn on Thursday.
Who needs to step up for New York? Improvement lies in ball security; Sabrina Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich forced five and four turnovers, with Ionescu posting just one assist. Down low, Jonquel Jones dominates the paint and his facilitation shines—though her overall output dipped to 12 points on 4‑to‑9 shooting. Crucially, New York contributed only six total bench points, far below Bonner’s performance in Atlanta. – Alexa Philippou
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