On Saturday, the Golden State Valkyries visit the Las Vegas Aces at the Michelob Ultra Arena for Game 3 of the 2026 WNBA semifinals.
The Valkyries are one win away from dethroning the Aces and sweeping the defending champions.
If the Aces lose tonight, it will be the first time they get swept in the playoffs since their 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Seattle Storm in the 2020 WNBA Finals.
Sophie Cunningham Sends Message to Valkyries
On the latest episode of her No Hesitation podcast with Drew Hanlen, Sophie Cunningham had nothing but praise for the Golden State Valkyries.
“Something that is so hard about Golden State is they truly all know their role, and they dominate their f*cking role,” Cunningham said. “Like they know it, and they stay in it. Sometimes you’re going to go outside, and people are going to kind of have unique games that they do score more points than whatever.”
The Indiana Fever star mentioned how impressive Kiah Stokes was in Game 1 against the Las Vegas Aces. Stokes was scoreless, but she grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked four shots. She also made things tough for A’ja Wilson, who went 8-for-21 in the Aces’ 71-60 loss.
In Game 2, Stokes didn’t have the biggest impact, but Gabby Williams and Tiffany Hayes stepped up to earn the 83-81 victory.
More Words for the Valkyries From Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham continued to admire how the Golden State Valkyries are playing for each other and don’t care about their roles as long as they are successful.
Cunningham was baffled that the Valkyries have a combined four All-Star appearances from their entire roster, compared to the star-studded Las Vegas Aces.
“They all work hard, and they all don’t care about the awards,” Cunningham said. “Their egos are not in the way. All they want to do is freaking win. And that’s why they’ve been on top of the W all year round. So, I’m not surprised by this. I’m really not surprised.”
The Valkyries are just in their second season in the WNBA. They made the playoffs last year, but they were swept by the Minnesota Lynx in the first round.
Gabby Williams was their big signing in the offseason, and it paid off tremendously. Williams has been the team’s best player this season, but the Valkyries seemingly have a different player who stands out every game.
Golden State finished second in the WNBA standings this season. They eliminated the Dallas Wings in three games and are now one win away from their first WNBA Finals appearance.
If they beat the Aces, they will face either the Atlanta Dream or New York Liberty. The Dream are up 2-0 against the Liberty.
Fever’s Sophie Cunningham Praises Golden State Valkyries Amid WNBA Semifinals