Valkyries overpower Wings in playoff opener as Fernandez critiques bench
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 28, 2026, 5:25 AM
Last updated Sep 28, 2026
In Game One of the WNBA playoffs on September 28, 2026, the Golden State Valkyries defeated the Dallas Wings 104-80. Despite a promising start for the Wings, who trailed by just one point at the end of the first quarter, the Valkyries surged in the second period, outscoring the Wings 37-11. Postgame, Wings head coach Jose Fernandez pointed to the Valkyries' formidable bench as a key factor in the loss, noting they dominate in scoring and defense. Tiffany Hayes led Golden State's bench with 21 points, while Paige Bueckers scored 21 for Dallas, the lone standout among the starters. The two teams will meet again in Dallas for Game Two of the series, as both look to make adjustments.
- •Game One final score: Valkyries 104, Wings 80.
- •Wings trailed 20-21 at the end of the first quarter.
- •Second quarter saw a 37-11 advantage for the Valkyries.
- •Jose Fernandez highlighted the Valkyries' bench as a strength.
- •Dallas hosts Game Two of the series next.
- 5:25 AMYahoo Sports — Jose Fernandez Makes His Opinion Of Valkyries Bench Very Clear After Wings Gets Crushed In Game One of the Playoffs
"The Dallas Wings have spent an entire season building one of the most impressive single-season turnarounds in WNBA history, but when their playoff run finally began, head coach Jose Fernandez didn’t need any time to identify how the Golden State Valkyries overwhelmed his team. The Wings lost 80-104 to the Valkyries, giving up the first 100-point game the Valkyries have had all season.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
WNBA•Sep 28, 2026, 6:21 AMWings news: Paige Bueckers makes 'tough' admission on Valkyries' defense
WNBA•Sep 28, 2026, 6:11 AMValkyries turned hard lessons into ‘dream come true,' igniting Chase Center in Game 1 blowout
WNBA•Sep 28, 2026, 5:47 AMValkyries run away from Wings with franchise-record scoring, 3's in Game 1
WNBA•Sep 28, 2026, 5:14 AMCaitlin Clark Delivers Blunt Playoff Warning After Fever 86-66 Blowout Loss
WNBA•Sep 28, 2026, 5:05 AMWNBA will punish Sophie Cunningham after debated referee decision in Fever’s Game 1 loss to Aces
WNBA•Sep 28, 2026, 4:17 AMWNBA playoff winners and losers include Stewie, A'ja and the Indiana Fever