A Rebounding Beatdown in San Francisco
Golden State took Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals on Sunday, 71-60 over Las Vegas. The Aces never found a way around the glass. The Valkyries outrebounded them 52-25, and Las Vegas was held six points below its season low.
Gabby Williams led everyone with 25 points, 11 rebounds and three triples. Kiah Stokes scored nothing and still might have been the best player on the floor: 14 rebounds, four blocks, and a long night spent standing in A’ja Wilson’s way. Kayla Thornton added 11 boards.
Wilson did her part. She finished with 24 points on 13-of-21 shooting. Chelsea Gray had 16 and Jackie Young 11, but the Aces shot 33.9 percent as a team against 37.7 for Golden State.
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Bench Depth Tilts the Night
The Valkyries bench outscored Las Vegas 27-7. Kaitlyn Chen gave Golden State 11 of those off the bench. Coach Natalie Nakase leaned on that edge afterward. “It’s strength in numbers for us. We use our fresh legs,” she said.
She was just as pointed about Stokes. “MVP of the game tonight. Her discipline, her matching up with A’ja… She made the difference,” Nakase said.
Gray put the second-chance problem plainly. “You take even half the second-chance points away and it’s a different game… it’s hard to win when teams get 17 offensive rebounds,” she said. The long ball did not decide this one. Each side hit seven threes, so the gap came from the paint and the bench.
Loyd Injury Clouds the Series
Las Vegas also lost Jewell Loyd early in the third quarter to a leg injury, a blow in a game that was already slipping away. The Aces now have to find an answer on the boards while Loyd’s status is unclear.
The semifinal is a best-of-five. Game 2 is Wednesday night, back in San Francisco.
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