Tiffany Hayes provides 21-point spark off the bench as Valkyries take 2-0 lead over Aces in WNBA semifinals

The Golden State Valkyries improved to 2-0 in the WNBA semifinals with an 83-81 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night in San Francisco.The story for the Valkyries was the boost Tiffany Hayes gave off the bench. She finished with 21 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Hayes hit one 3-pointer, but nailed all eight of her free-throw attempts. She led Golden State in scoring, just besting starter Gabby Williams, who had 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Tiffany Hayes is putting on a CLINIC! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5CNFqwIlIi— WNBA on NBC and Peacock (@WNBAonNBC) October 8, 2026 Golden State led nearly the entire game, falling behind for the first time with just 1:36 left. The Valkyries then almost immediately retook the lead on a Williams bucket. Veronica Burton then hit her first shot of the contest, and her 3-pointer was the difference maker, forcing Las Vegas to start fouling. PHEW, THERE GOES VB 😮‍💨Burton gets the @valkyries back ahead with this triple!GSV: 79LVA: 7641.5 SECONDS LEFT IN REGULATION pic.twitter.com/CvjOcfEMcx— WNBA (@WNBA) October 8, 2026 After Burton's 3, it became a game of free throws, which ended up favoring Golden State. She was fouled with 6.4 seconds left and made both, keeping Golden State's three-point lead. For Las Vegas, A'ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray did all they could to will their team to a comeback. The Aces once trailed by 17, but it was a three-point game with under eight seconds left.Wilson led all players with 24 points and added 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. The "Point Gawd" Gray had 19 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. It didn't look like it in the first half, but it turned into a close game. The Valkyries had 30 rebounds (10 offensive) compared to 25 boards for the Aces (six offensive). Golden State had 15 turnovers and 25 fouls, while Las Vegas had 12 turnovers and 17 fouls. The Aces outshot the Valkyries from the field (44% vs. 41%) and from beyond the arc (42% vs. 34%). The difference came down to the free-throw line. Golden State made 25 free throws, while Las Vegas made 23, and the Valkyries would go on to win by two. No team in WNBA history has ever come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series. Game 3 will take place Friday night in Las Vegas.