Valkyries punch playoff ticket again as Gabby Williams leads win over Wings
Behind 23 points and seven rebounds from Gabby Williams, the Golden State Valkyries beat the Dallas Wings 78-70 to clinch a WNBA playoff berth for the second straight season. The win, their sixth in a row, makes Golden State only the fourth franchise ever to reach the postseason in each of its first two years.
Valkyries clinch playoff berth again behind Gabby Williams in win over Wings
The Golden State Valkyries used a composed fourth quarter and another strong night from Gabby Williams to beat the Dallas Wings 78-70, clinching a WNBA playoff berth for the second straight season and extending their winning streak to six games.
That result, played Monday night at Chase Center in San Francisco, underscores how quickly the expansion Valkyries have moved from curiosity to contender. As noted in ESPN’s WNBA scoreboard recap, Golden State is now only the fourth franchise in league history to make the playoffs in each of its first two seasons.
Williams leads the way in a pivotal win
The Valkyries’ latest victory came with Gabby Williams setting the tone on both ends of the floor.
According to ESPN’s game story, Williams finished with 23 points and seven rebounds, anchoring Golden State’s offense while also helping close defensive possessions that kept Dallas from mounting a late comeback. Veronica Burton added 16 points and five assists, giving the Valkyries a second ballhandler who could organize the offense and punish Wings’ defensive miscues.
Golden State outscored Dallas in the first three quarters and then held on in the fourth, with the final 78-70 margin reflecting a disciplined late-game approach spelled out in the ESPN recap. The win pushed the Valkyries to 25-9 on the season, while the Wings dropped to 20-16.
Clinching in year two — and joining a select company
The playoff-clinching context is what elevates this game beyond a routine regular-season win.
As detailed by ESPN, the Valkyries’ victory made them just the fourth WNBA franchise ever to reach the postseason in each of their first two years of existence. That places Golden State in rare company among expansion teams that have managed to build competitive rosters and cultures at an accelerated pace.
The win also marked the Valkyries’ sixth consecutive victory, a run highlighted in the ESPN scoreboard coverage. That streak has solidified Golden State’s position near the top of the Western Conference and ensured that the final weeks of the regular season will be about playoff seeding rather than qualification.
What it means in the Western race
Golden State’s surge comes against a backdrop of a crowded Western Conference race.
The ESPN WNBA news capsule notes that the Minnesota Lynx, at 29-7, remain the team others are chasing, and that Minnesota faces Golden State with a 19-2 conference record. For the Valkyries, clinching early while riding a six-game streak positions them as a serious threat rather than merely a feel-good expansion story.
With Williams producing star-level nights and Burton providing backcourt stability, Golden State has translated its early potential into tangible postseason success. Monday’s win over Dallas did more than secure a spot in the bracket; it confirmed that in just their second year, the Valkyries belong in the heart of the WNBA’s title conversation.