LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kayla Thornton scored 18 points and the second-year Golden State Valkyries became the quickest expansion team to reach the WNBA Finals, sweeping the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 87-77 in overtime Friday night in Game 3.
The second-seeded Valkyries will have home-court advantage and will host No. 4 Atlanta beginning Oct. 17. The Dream swept New York earlier in the night, and now teams are 22-0 in playoff history when leading a series 2-0.
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Las Vegas Aces Kalani Brown (20) looks to shoot against Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Golden State Valkyries' Gabby Williams (1) and Veronica Burton (22) defend against Las Vegas Aces’ A'ja Wilson (22) during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas.(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Las Vegas Aces guard Dana Evans reacts after making basket while being fouled during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals against the Golden State Valkyries, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams, left, and center Kiah Stokes (41) collide while going for the ball against the Las Vegas Aces during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) secures a rebound against Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton, right, during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Las Vegas, which was seeded third, had won three of the past four championships.
Gabby Williams added 16 points for the Valkyries, including eight in overtime. Former Aces Kiah Stokes and Tiffany Hayes each had 11 points, and Stokes also grabbed 10 rebounds.
A’ja Wilson, honored before night’s game for winning an unprecedented fifth MVP, scored 21 points, but on 6-for-19 shooting for the Aces. She also had 10 rebounds, joining DeWanna Bonner as the only players with 1,300 points and 600 rebounds in the postseason.
Jackie Young added 18 points and Chelsea Gray 17.
A 17-point run bolted Golden State past the Aces for a 53-47. Las Vegas closed within a point by the end of the quarter, giving the Aces only seven points in the period.
The Aces led by six points late in the game before the Valkyries evened the score when Gabby Williams stole the ball from Wilson and Thornton finished with a transition layup to make it 69-69 with 1:50 left.
Golden State then took the lead Veronica Burton's 9-foot floater with 1:12 remaining. The Aces tied the score on Gray's inbound pass to Young with 27 seconds left and ultimately force overtime.
The extra period belonged completely to the Valkyries, who outscored the Aces 16-6
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Las Vegas Aces Kalani Brown (20) looks to shoot against Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Golden State Valkyries' Gabby Williams (1) and Veronica Burton (22) defend against Las Vegas Aces’ A'ja Wilson (22) during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas.(Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Las Vegas Aces guard Dana Evans reacts after making basket while being fouled during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals against the Golden State Valkyries, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams, left, and center Kiah Stokes (41) collide while going for the ball against the Las Vegas Aces during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) secures a rebound against Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton, right, during the first half of Game 3 of the WNBA basketball semifinals Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)
GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Isaias crashed into the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday as a dangerous Category 2 storm, hammering communities in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle with damaging winds, heavy rain, flooding and life-threatening storm surges.
The first hurricane of the Atlantic season made landfall near Destin, Florida, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (169 kph). The storm weakened to just below major hurricane status before it came ashore.
“The storm is here. Buckle down at this point. Don’t be getting out on the roads," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference, adding that flash flooding would be a hazard "throughout the region.”
Hurricane-force winds lashed the Gulf shoreline in the low-lying coastal area known for powdery white sand beaches that are dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks. Forecasters warned the conditions could also stir up tornadoes across the Florida Panhandle and into southern Georgia.
“We’re watching it very closely, the hurricane,” President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House late Friday night as he returned from a rally in upstate New York, adding that it was “under control.”
Roads in Destin were flooded, while in nearby Pensacola, police warned residents to stay off the streets because of debris across roadways. While the extent of the damage was not immediately known, many area residents posted pictures online of downed trees and power lines, and one video posted to social media showed a roof being ripped off of an inn in Pensacola. Some panhandle counties temporarily suspended emergency response Friday night due to dangerous conditions.
Parts of southern Alabama were also flooded, with officials in Mobile reporting downed trees and power lines.
More than 594,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were without power Friday evening, according to poweroutage.com.
One of the biggest concerns is a storm surge that could be as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters), according to the hurricane center. Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the Florida beach community of Gulf Breeze, said everyone in their neighborhood planned to ride out the storm. The couple installed hurricane shutters and picked up anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile.
“Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help. All good,” she said. “It’s just another adventure.”
Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said. Several counties announced mandatory evacuations while Mobile, Alabama, imposed a curfew through Saturday morning.
In a sign of how serious the warnings are, dozens of Waffle Houses in the Florida Panhandle were closed, according to the company's website. The beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open through severe weather and often is a measuring stick of a storm’s severity.
Kelsei Frazier, a Florida native living in Pace who is no stranger to hurricanes, knows all about the Waffle House Index.
“We joke because if Waffle House is still open, then you know it’s not a bad hurricane, but all the Waffle Houses that I know of within at least a normal range from us are closed,” said Frazier.
DeSantis warned residents to expect power outages, gasoline shortages and closures of bridges and highways.
The state's National Guard deployed about 5,000 soldiers and airmen to help with the response, and search and rescue teams were ready to respond, while some prisons evacuated inmates.
Isaias was already slowing down after it reached land, and it was expected to weaken further and be downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the center said.
Still, heavy rain is forecast as it moves inland, with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama to southwestern Georgia.
Isaias, which is the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024, also is expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, and then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
The storm grounded most Friday flights at several panhandle airports, including all flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, scrapped his plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He said he didn’t want to disrupt the emergency response.
Isaias was expected to miss the oil industry’s biggest hubs along the Gulf Coast, but fuel prices could rise if power outages shut down refineries for processing crude, industry experts said.
On Dauphin Island, a barrier island off the Alabama coast, Mayor Jeff Collier said he didn't expect major damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst.”
Meanwhile in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon became a Category 2 storm on Friday and was expected to strengthen further before making landfall in Mexico this weekend.
Tropical Storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend.
Megnien reported from Panama City, Florida, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. These Associated Press journalists also contributed: Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Florida; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Hallie Golden in Seattle.
This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 1:06 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 9 2026, shows Hurricane Isaias approaching the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida . (NOAA via AP)
People sit outside an evacuation shelter as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jim McKenzie looks out over an empty beach as the effects of Isaias keep beachgoers away on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on Mon Louis Island, Ala.(AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
An American flag flaps in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias on an empty beach on Friday, Oct. 9, loom overhead on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Mon Louis Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Shahar David, employee at Cafe Bistro, feeds his family before closing as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Marine flags flap in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias as a vehicle passes on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Dauphin Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Surfers swim out to waves as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Silas Bowles, of Gulf Breeze, Fla. films the surf as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Mike Howard, foreground, and Joshua Brown board up Perdido Key Sports Bar as Hurricane Isaias approaches Perdido Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
People walk on the beach at sunset as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Daniel and Brand Harp, of Lebanon Tenn., here on vacation, pack their belongings to evacuate in the morning as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
Larry Smith boards up his home with plywood ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast in Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
