The No. 3 Las Vegas Aces enter their eighth consecutive WNBA Semifinals appearance on Sunday, facing the No. 2 Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 of a best-of-five series at Chase Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. PDT, with the game airing nationally on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
The Aces advanced past the Indiana Fever 2-1 in the first round, with MVP frontrunner A'ja Wilson recording dominant performances. Wilson averaged 32.0 points per game on 66.7% shooting, along with 11.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in the series. Las Vegas averaged 95.0 points per game on 49.2% from the field and 38.8% from three-point range during the first round.
The matchup marks the first-ever playoff meeting between the two franchises. The Aces swept the Valkyries during the regular season, winning all three matchups: 91-81 on May 31 at Chase Center, 84-79 on June 6, and 92-73 on June 21 at home.
Golden State enters the Semifinals with a historic sophomore season for the franchise. The No. 2 seed finished the regular season 32-12 and led the league in made three-pointers per game at 10.4, shooting 34.4% from distance overall. The Valkyries advanced past Dallas in the first round, with Gabby Williams increasing her production to 25.0 points per game in the series, up from 14.4 in the regular season. Tiffany Hayes averaged 15.0 points and Veronica Burton added 12.3 points and 5.3 assists.
The Aces' depth at point guard figures to be a key difference. Chelsea Gray and Tiffany Young lead the eight playoff teams in assists, averaging 6.7 and 7.3 per game respectively during the first round. Both guards played all 40 minutes in the Aces' Game 3 clincher against Indiana, with Young recording 23.3 points on 43.5% shooting and 42.9% from three.
Defensive consistency will be critical for Las Vegas. The Aces gave up 10.7 three-pointers per game to Golden State in the regular season and will need to contain a Valkyries team shooting 38% from distance in their first-round series. Golden State's offensive firepower is undeniable, but the Aces' paint scoring advantage—39.6 points per game compared to the Valkyries' league-worst 31.0 in the regular season—offers a potential avenue for taking pressure off perimeter defense.
The Aces are 37-21 in the playoffs since relocating to Las Vegas and 47-45 overall as a franchise. Dana Evans is out due to a right knee injury, while Steph Talbot is questionable with a left leg issue. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 p.m. PDT on Peacock and NBCSN, while Game 3 will be in Las Vegas on Oct. 9.