Golden State Valkyries vs Aces Prediction 8 October 2026

The opening game of the series turned out to be a gritty, low-scoring affair. Golden State emerged victorious, 71-60, but shot just 37.7% from the field. The Valkyries made up for their poor shooting with an outstanding performance on the boards. Stokes pulled down 14 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass. Thornton added another 11 boards. This win has undoubtedly boosted the franchise’s confidence and positioned them as favorites to reach the playoff finals.

Key to California’s success were several tactical decisions from coach Nakase, a former assistant to Las Vegas head coach Hammon. First, she kept a big on the court for all 40 minutes, attacking the rim through pick-and-rolls - despite the Valkyries typically playing without a traditional center. Second, Nakase unexpectedly increased minutes for French forward Guyet, who had only logged 14 minutes all season. Guyet rewarded that trust by scoring 9 points and making a couple of crucial blocks. This level of tactical flexibility makes Golden State a tough matchup for Las Vegas, who are already dealing with limited resources.

In the series opener, Las Vegas saw solid performances only from their star duo, Wilson and Gray, who combined for a massive share of the team's points (40 out of 60). The rest of the squad failed to step up. Young, who averaged 23.7 points per game against the Valkyries in the regular season, was virtually invisible in Game 1. The bench was also a major letdown, as the Aces’ reserves were outscored 7-27 by their counterparts. To make matters worse, Lloyd - one of the franchise’s key role players (8 points per game in the regular season) - suffered an injury and is almost certain to miss Game 2.

If Lloyd is sidelined, and with Talbot and Evans still on the injury list, Hammon will have just eight healthy players available. That’s a serious concern against a team that leads the league in bench points (35.9 per game). Let's not forget the earlier loss of Smith; the starting center missed the entire second half of the season, leaving the Aces even more reliant on Wilson in the paint and making their offense increasingly predictable.