For most of Friday night, Gabby Williams looked stuck. Two points before the break. Missed looks. A stretch on the bench while Dallas stretched a 16-point lead.
Then the second half arrived, and the Golden State Valkyries' first playoff series win came with it.
The Associated Press reported that Williams scored 19 points and hit a go-ahead 17-footer with 1:17 remaining as Golden State rallied past the Dallas Wings 77-73 in Game 3 at Chase Center. Basketball-Reference's box lists 6-of-17 shooting, 3-of-6 from three, a perfect 4-of-4 at the line, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 30:36.
Seventeen of those 19 points came after halftime; only two came before it. The Valkyries site called the 16-point comeback tied for the fifth-largest in a winner-take-all WNBA game.
Consecutive baskets after Arike's late push
Dallas still had a pulse after Arike Ogunbowale's personal 7-0 burst put the Wings back up five. Williams answered with consecutive baskets that reclaimed the lead, then sank four free throws down the stretch to seal it, per the Valkyries' gameday recap. CBS Sports noted she barreled through Paige Bueckers to cut the deficit to one before the go-ahead mid-range jumper on the next trip.
With 13.1 seconds left and Golden State ahead by one, Williams jumped back inbounds to corral her own miss on a play originally ruled Dallas' ball. Coach Natalie Nakase successfully challenged; the call flipped, the AP wrote, and the Valkyries closed out the possession.
Balance around the closer
Williams did not carry the night alone. Veronica Burton posted 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists - her first postseason double-double, the team said. Tiffany Hayes scored 18 off the bench. Kiah Stokes grabbed 13 rebounds. A sellout crowd of 18,064 packed Chase for the franchise's 47th straight sellout dating to last season.
