Valkyries Push Aces to the Brink

Golden State withstood a furious Las Vegas comeback and pushed the defending WNBA champions to the edge of elimination Wednesday night, beating the Aces 83-81 at Chase Center to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five semifinal. Veronica Burton hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 41.5 seconds remaining, her only field goal of the night, and Kiah Stokes, playing with five fouls, saved the win by blocking Chelsea Gray at the rim in the final seconds.

For three quarters the Valkyries looked like they would put the series away without drama. They led 42-31 at halftime and stretched the margin to 66-50 with 1:08 left in the third quarter, extending the defensive pressure and rebounding edge that had carried them through a 71-60 Game 1 win in which they outrebounded Las Vegas 52-25. The game turned when Stokes and Aminata Gueye, Golden State’s interior anchors against A’ja Wilson, fell into foul trouble and spent most of the second half playing with four fouls. Wilson, held to six first-half points, scored 18 after halftime, and an 18-6 Las Vegas run gave the Aces their first lead of the night, 76-74, on her layup with 1:36 left.