The Valkyries Just Beat the Defending Champs Twice at Home and the Job Is Not Done Yet

The Golden State Valkyries beat the Las Vegas Aces in Game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead on the defending champions. Veronica Burton hits the clutch shot with 43 seconds left. Tiffany Hayes admits she held her breath the entire time the ball was in the air. And the message out of the presser is the same one this team always gives: the job is not done. The Aces made their run in the fourth quarter. Everyone in the Valkyries locker room knew it was coming. They are defending champions for a reason. The answer was composure. Stick to the defensive identity. Get buckets down the stretch. Do not panic. That is exactly what this team did and it is exactly why they are up 2-0.

Veronica had not fully found her rhythm when the moment arrived. Gabby Williams trusted her anyway. Not once but twice on the same possession. Burton passed up the first look, knew the second one had to go up, and delivered. TIP said it perfectly: that composure to stay locked in and hit a shot like that when everything is not going your way is exactly what leadership looks like. TIP is playing against her former team and she is holding some things close. What she will say is that it felt amazing and that she loves being here. The job is not done. Going into Aces territory is going to be a battle. She knows that better than anyone. Ballhalla was the sixth player again tonight and the Valkyries fed off every second of it. The Aces have never come back from 0-2 in this series format. The Valkyries are not thinking about history. They are treating Game 3 as do or die the same way they treat every game. Their backs are not against the wall. The Aces are.

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Golden State Valkyries | WNBA | Semifinal Presser | Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes | Las Vegas Aces | Game 2 | 2025

00:00 — Stay Composed and Stick to Our Guns: How the Valkyries Held Off the Aces Run
00:19 — What Veronica Burton Means to This Team: Tiffany Hayes Answers
01:19 — The Fourth Quarter Run: What Was Going Through Their Heads
01:47 — Up 2-0: What Does It Take for the Aces to Come Back?
02:14 — Tip Playing Against Her Former Team: How It Felt
03:12 — Katie Lou Samuelson's Leadership Heading Into Las Vegas
04:08 — Ballhalla on Another Level: What Did It Feel Like From the Floor
05:07 — TIP on Veronica's Clutch Shot: I Held My Breath the Whole Time
05:54 — Veronica on the Shot: Gabby Trusted Me Twice on the Same Possession
06:50 — Sustaining a Lead: How the Valkyries Have Grown All Season
07:35 — Veronica on Cross Matching: The Defensive Attention to Detail