The Team That Ended the Wings' Season Is Going to the WNBA Finals, and Dallas Faces a Tight-Budget Offseason

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RF Sports Radio branded title card with basketball icon: the Valkyries, who eliminated the Wings, advance to the WNBA Finals as Dallas plans a tight-budget offseason

Wings fans, this one stings a little. The team that knocked Dallas out is headed to the WNBA Finals.

Golden State finished a 3-0 semifinal sweep of defending champion Las Vegas on Friday night with an 87-77 overtime win in Las Vegas, per the Valkyries and ESPN. The Valkyries came back from 13 down behind a 17-0 third-quarter run, held the Aces to seven points in the third and outscored them 16-6 in overtime. Kayla Thornton led them with 18, Gabby Williams scored 16 with eight in overtime, and Kiah Stokes had a double-double. In just their second season, the Valkyries will host Atlanta in Game 1 of the Finals on Oct. 17 at 12:30 p.m. Pacific, 2:30 Central, on NBC and Peacock.

That's the same Golden State team Dallas had on the ropes. The Wings led by 16 in the second half of Game 3 on the road before losing 77-73, The IX Sports recapped, after Arike Ogunbowale's WNBA playoff-record 45 points forced a deciding game, per CBS Sports. It shows how close the No. 7 seed came.

Now comes the hard part. Swish Appeal's Josh Felton, in an offseason outlook published Friday, says Dallas posted the sixth-best net rating in the league and a top-five offense in the biggest single-season turnaround in WNBA history. But money is tight. Felton writes the Wings have "a little over three million dollars available to fill six empty roster spots," and Awak Kuier, the team's most impactful defender, is in line for a big payday. GM Curt Miller has said keeping Kuier is "absolutely" a priority.

Felton's other points: Dallas needs defense and wing depth. The three-guard lineup of Paige Bueckers, Ogunbowale and Azzi Fudd fit the offense but gave up size and containment on defense, and Alysha Clark, at 39, was the only true wing on the roster. He also questions Jessica Shepard's long-term fit, since she's a strong offensive partner for Bueckers but can't protect the rim. The Wings do have two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, according to CBS.

Track the Dallas Wings all offseason. Radio question: do you pay Kuier almost any price, or spread that money around the roster?

Sources: Golden State Valkyries — Valkyries complete sweep, advance to WNBA Finals; ESPN — Valkyries 87, Aces 77 (OT) box score; Swish Appeal — Offseason outlooks for the Wings, Fever, Lynx and Mystics; The IX Sports — Wings GM Curt Miller on the 2026 season; CBS Sports — What's next for the Wings?.

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