After joining the WNBA as an expansion team last season, the Golden State Valkyries have won the organization's first playoff series and advanced to the semifinals.
The Las Vegas Aces, on the other hand, have reached the semifinals for the eighth straight season.
The No. 2 seeded Valkyries will play host to the Aces in Game 1 of the best-of-five series Sunday, Oct. 4 in San Francisco.
With homecourt in Game 1, the pressure is on the Valkyries to secure the first win. Their fanbase at Chase Center — or “Ballhalla” — will try and help. When the Aces traveled there for the first time last season, they took a blowout 95-68 loss that led coach Becky Hammon to condemn her team for being “mentally soft.”
Both teams are different this year but, if the Valkyries
come out more aggressive than the Aces on either side of the ball, they might open the series with an advantage.
The Valkyries have had the best defense all season, but showed their offensive firepower in the opening round against the Dallas Wings. The Valkyries scored a franchise-record 104 points in their Game 1 win, and then Gabby Williams had a career-best 36 points in their Game 2 overtime loss in Dallas.
Four-time MVPA’ja Wilson averaged a league-high 32 points per game in the Aces’ three games against the Indiana Fever in the opening round.
Here's how to watch the semifinal opener between the Aces and Valkyries on Sunday:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Golden State Valkyries vs. Las Vegas WNBA playoffs: TV, time, how to watch
