Valkyries Beat Aces, Take 2-0 Semifinal Lead

The Golden State Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces 83-81 in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five WNBA semifinal series, putting the defending champions on the brink of elimination. Veronica Burton hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 41 seconds remaining and made two late free throws after Las Vegas rallied from a 17-point deficit to briefly take the lead. Tiffany Hayes scored 21 points, Gabby Williams added 20 and Kayla Thornton had 16 for Golden State, which is one win from reaching the finals in its second season. The Valkyries’ defense and rebounding have troubled the Aces, who lost Game 1 by 71-60 and were outrebounded 52-25; A’ja Wilson scored 24 points in that game but had four rebounds. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday in Las Vegas, where the Aces must win to keep their title defense alive.