SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries are back in the WNBA playoffs.
The second-year Bay Area franchise made it two-for-two in playoff appearances by beating the Dallas Wings 78-70 on Monday night at Chase Center.
The Valks improved to 25-9 to stretch their lead over the ninth-place Portland Fire to an insurmountable margin and become the third WNBA team to clinch a playoff spot this season.
In its second season, Golden State is firmly in the upper echelon of the WNBA, currently second in the league standings and trailing only the Minnesota Lynx (29-7). The Valkyries were swept 2-0 by Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural season, when they reached the postseason as the No. 8 seed.
A Golden State Valkyries fan holds up a playoff bound sign after the Valkyries beat the Dallas Wings 78-70 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Dallas (20-16) is in a familiar spot for the Valks — the Wings are on the fringes of the playoff hunt with the eighth-best record in the league.
Golden State’s effort on Monday was a typically thorough performance, with the Valkyries establishing a 16-point halftime lead and largely cruising to the finish line, though Dallas made a late charge in the final minutes to bring the deficit under double digits.
Gabby Williams led Golden State with 23 points, Veronica Burton had 16 and Tiffany Hayes and Janelle Salaun each added 10.
Hayes’ 3-pointer from the midcourt logo to end the first quarter keyed the Valkyries’ 24-9 second-quarter surge and enlivened a Golden State group that had started the game sluggishly.
Golden State Valkyries’ Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrates their 78-70 win over the Dallas Wings at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Her calculated heave gave the Valks their first lead of the game after trailing by as many as six points in the opening frame, and Golden State didn’t look back.
Stephen Curry, who was in attendance alongside multiple Warriors teammates, stood and applauded the stunning long-range shot alongside a sellout crowd of 18,064 fans in Ballhalla.
“She’s never afraid,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “She’s not only emptying the tank, but she’s fearless on the offensive end. You could see, she’s so comfortable when she decides. She looks up at the clock, and then you could see her say, ‘I need to back this up,’ because she didn’t have enough time to get to the rim.
“They were heavily shifted off of Tip too, just to make sure she doesn’t get downhill. So yeah, she’s just being fearless. Tip Hayes is fearless, and yeah, I’m taking those shots every day.”
Golden State Valkyries’ Tiffany Hayes (15) passes the ball against Dallas Wings’ Maddy Siegrist (20) in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 15 points, Alanna Smith had 13 and Paige Bueckers added 11.
With the playoffs now clinched, Golden State can afford to look ahead at positioning itself for a deep postseason run.
Minnesota comes to town on Wednesday in what will be a measuring-stick game for the Valkyries as they look to advance past the first round this season.
The Valks have never beaten Minnesota in eight previous meetings. There have been some close calls, with the closest being a 75-74 defeat in Game 2 of last season’s opening round, a game where Golden State held multiple large leads before succumbing late to a Minnesota comeback.
Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams (1) dribbles against Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers (5) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) takes a shot against Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers (5) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) celebrates her 3-point basket against the Dallas Wings in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) takes a shot against Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers (5) in the third quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Kaitlyn Chen (2) heads to the basket against Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale (24) in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Janelle Salaün (13) forces a turnover against Dallas Wings’ Maddy Siegrist (20) in the second quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton (5) takes a shot against Dallas Wings’ Alanna Smith (8) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry laughs after a 3-point basket by Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams (1) against the Dallas Wings in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers (5) takes a shot against Golden State Valkyries’ Kayla Thornton (5) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) talks to Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase during their game against the Dallas Wings in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Janelle Salaün (13) fights for a pass against Dallas Wings’ Maddy Siegrist (20) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) and Golden State Valkyries’ Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrate their 78-70 win over the Dallas Wings at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries’ Veronica Burton (22) and Golden State Valkyries’ Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrate their 78-70 win over the Dallas Wings at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Valkyries fans hold up their playoff bound signs during the Valkyries game against the Dallas Wings in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams (1) dribbles against Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers (5) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
But now the Valkyries have Williams, and she’s determined to drag them farther than they went without her last year.
“I came here to win,” Williams said. “I’ve said that since day one. I’ve been very clear about that. How do you do that? You go game by game. So how do we do that? We gotta beat Minnesota Wednesday. We got a road trip ahead of us. So we’re gonna focus on that. Focus on the details, locking in on everything. That’s where my mind’s at.”
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