The Golden State Valkyries and Dallas Wings played the most exciting game of the first round of the WNBA playoffs Wednesday night.
What will they do for an encore Friday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2) when they meet in Game 3 for a spot in the semifinals on the line?
Game 2 in Arlington, Texas, featured a 36-point game from Golden State's Gabby Williams, a WNBA playoff-record 45 points from Dallas' Arike Ogunbowale, overtime and the first postseason contest this season decided by single digits. The Wings' 108-100 victory tied the series 1-1, forcing it back to San Francisco.
At stake: The Valkyries' first playoff series win -- the franchise joined the league last season -- or the Wings' first trip to the semifinals since 2023. Here's what might decide which team advances. And be sure to come back when the game ends for analysis and highlights.
Will Ogunbowale come back to Earth? Will Dallas have enough offensive balance against Golden State's defense?
Ogunbowale made history Wednesday, scoring the most points in a playoff game in 42 minutes. She hit several jaw-dropping shots through the final minutes of regulation and overtime. She scored 11 points in the extra period, while players on both teams combined for 11 in overtime. Ogunbowale finished 12-for-23 from the field and 5-for-8 on 3-pointers.
It was an extraordinary performance, but what should we expect in Game 3? Ogunbowale averaged 15.3 points on 40.6% field goal shooting throughout the regular season and tallied 18 20-point games, including two 30-point performances. She scored just 10 points in Game 1.
For the Wings to win, the pressure can't all be on Ogunbowale. Dallas will need a big offensive night from several players. Wednesday, Alysha Clark scored 21 points off the bench and Aziaha James added 13 but point guard Paige Bueckers was limited to 10 points, about 10 fewer than her team-high regular-season average. Jessica Shepard (14.5 PPG in the regular season) and Maddy Siegrist combined for just six points. Dallas needs more from its starters and leading scorers.
It took a historic night for Dallas to beat the Valkyries in overtime. The Wings need everyone to contribute to their offense Friday night.
How will the Valkyries bounce back?
Asked if the Valkyries had anything positive to take away from the shotmaking down the stretch of Game 2, Williams said: "That's not us."
"We're not here to trade baskets with people," she told reporters. "We're a defensive team. We need to get stops."
The Valkyries allowed Ogunbowale to take 18 free throw attempts (she hit 16). Golden State gave up 108 points -- the most it has allowed all season.
"Our energy is different," Williams said. "I didn't recognize us tonight -- I don't think any of us did. There are so many things you [can't] control, the calls or whatever, they hit some tough shots at the end. ... [If] we can control what we do, it doesn't even come down to those things."
Defense has driven the Valkyries' success this season, and they'll look to get back to that in Game 3. They don't care that Williams scored a career high two nights ago, or that they tied a franchise record with 18 3-pointers in Game 1. Golden State wants to control the game by getting stops. If the Valkyries do that, they believe everything else will fall into place.
How much will home-court advantage be a factor?
Chase Center. Ballhalla. Valcatraz. Whatever you want to call it, Golden State's arena has been the toughest home court all season, regularly draws sold-out crowds of 18,000-plus and has led the league in attendance for two years. Golden State had the best home record in the league during the regular season (17-5), and Dallas lost all three games it played at Chase Center this season, including a blowout in Game 1.
Last year, an arena conflict sent the Valkyries 90 minutes south to San Jose, California, to play their lone home game of the postseason. Natalie Nakase said their fans traveled -- Ballhalla is a mindset just not a singular place -- but nothing quite compares to the atmosphere in their San Francisco home.
Expect the noise to be deafening, the ground to be shaking and the team's signature purple to be everywhere. Will all of it continue to fuel the Valkyries, or can the Wings shut down the crowd?