Gabby Williams scores 19 as Valkyries rally from 16 down to beat Wings 77-73, reach WNBA semifinals

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Gabby Williams scored 19 points and hit a go-ahead 17-footer with 1:17 remaining, and the Golden State Valkyries won a late replay review to finish a rally from 16 points down and beat the Dallas Wings 77-73 on Friday night in a wild deciding Game 3 of their first-round WNBA playoff series.

With 13.1 seconds left and Golden State leading by one, Williams jumped back inbounds to corral her own miss on a play that was originally ruled Dallas' ball, but Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase — who moments earlier had fallen to her knees on the sideline before being helped up — successfully challenged the call. Nakase walked off the court escorted by a member of her staff after the final buzzer, holding her face as the team celebrated at midcourt.

The team said afterward she was fine and expected to coach Sunday in Game 1 but assistant coach Kasib Powell addressed the media in a postgame news conference where she typically speaks.

The Valkyries will be back at rocking Ballhalla for the series opener with the team’s deafening, violet-crazed home crowd at Chase Center.

Arike Ogunbowale knocked down an off-balance jumper with 3:13 to play that put Dallas up by five and finished with 30 points to follow up a 45-point performance in the Wings' overtime win Wednesday night at home.

Williams scored all but two of her points after halftime. Veronica Burton had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Burton’s layup with 8:19 to play pulled the Valkyries within 61-59, Williams hit two 3-pointers late in the third and they both willed Golden State into the best-of-five semifinals against the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.

Tiffany Hayes scored 18 points off the bench, Kaila Charles hit a tying 3-pointer with 6:51 left and Kiah Stokes pulled down 13 rebounds.

The second-seeded Valkyries won a playoff series for the first time. Last year, they became the first expansion team to reach the playoffs in its inaugural season.

Paige Bueckers had 17 points with six assists but shot only 3 for 14 for Dallas, making all 10 of her free throws.

The Valkyries missed three straight 3s and nine shots in a row overall to start the third quarter as Dallas used a 9-0 run to take its largest lead at 53-37. Golden State pulled within 59-54 heading into the final 10 minutes.

Ogunbowale was 11 for 21 after scoring a playoff-record 45 points in the Wings' 108-100 overtime win Wednesday night.

That prompted Nakase to declare before the game: “We made a promise to ourselves we are going to play the best four quarters of our lives.”

She said the Valkyries didn't recognize themselves that game — even though the team had scored 100 or more points in the first two matchups, including 104-80 in the series opener last Sunday.

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) shoots against Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (32) during the first half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen, left, drives to the basket against Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale during the first half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) celebrates after scoring against the Golden State Valkyries during the first half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) drives the ball against Dallas Wings guard Odyssey Sims (1) during the second quarter of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) drives for a layup against the Dallas Wings during the first quarter of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase went down to her knees with her head and hands on the court near the team's bench with 1:40 left in a scary moment late in a 77-73 series-winning victory over the Dallas Wings on Friday night.

Nakase was helped up by athletic trainer Katelin Knox. She finished the game but exited the floor immediately following the final escorted by a member of her staff after the final buzzer, with her team celebrating at midcourt.

The team said she was feeling fine afterward, but assistant coach Kasib Powell addressed the media in a postgame news conference where she typically speaks.

“Natalie's fine, obviously it's a quick turnaround, we play again on Sunday. She wouldn't miss it for anything,” Powell said, adding: “It's still new to us, we're just trying to figure it out. We just know that we (saw) her afterward and she was fine, laughing, in great spirits. We'll figure out more as we go but I think she's totally fine, she's talking, she's laughing in the back. We look forward to preparing and getting ready for Sunday.”

The Valkyries will host the defending champion Las Vegas Aces for Game 1 in the best-of-five semifinals.

“She's OK, she's fine,” guard Gabby Williams said. “We just tried to step up ourselves. We’re just happy that she’s OK.”

Golden State rallied from 16 points down to eliminate the Wings in the deciding Game 3 at Chase Center. The 46-year-old Nakase guided the Valkyries to a history-making 2025 season as the first expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season.

Guard Tiffany Hayes said she didn't see Nakase go down, then the coach was right back at it — even successfully winning a challenge.

“Didn't miss a beat," Powell said. "We were locked in as that happened, when she went to the sidelines she drew the next play up, she was in the huddle getting on them about getting a stop, so she didn't skip a beat at all.”

Powell added that the Valkyries kept their composure "and just rally around each other and her."

“We do know that she will be ready for Sunday,” Powell said.

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase gestures toward players during the first half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Wings, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)