WNBL champion keeps Miela Sowah's title hopes alive

• Golden State came from 16 points down to beat Dallas 77-73 in Game 3
• WNBL champion Veronica Burton had 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the decider
• Allen, Maley, Borlase, Talbot and Sowah are all through to the semi-finals

An Australian will be a WNBA champion in 2026.

It was already settled before Game 3 between Australian Opals teammates Miela Sowah's Golden State Valkyries and  Alanna Smith's Dallas Wings.

‍Smith's injury-riddled season is over after the Valkyries came from 16 points down to beat the Wings 77-73 at Chase Center.

All four semi-finalists have an Australian on the roster: Rebecca Allen and Anneli Maley are with the New York Liberty, Isobel Borlase with the Atlanta Dream, Stephanie Talbot with the Las Vegas Aces and Miela Sowah with the Valkyries.

Sowah did not get off the bench (DNP Coach's Decision) in the decider, Smith sat at the end of the Wings bench but the player who dragged Golden State back has an Australian title of her own.

American point guard Veronica Burton won the 2025 WNBL championship with the Bendigo Spirit before her breakout Most Improved Player season in the Valkyries' first year.

Dallas led 53-37 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Golden State called time-out, Burton hit a step-back three out of it, and the Valkyries outscored the Wings 40-20 from there.

Burton scored or assisted on 19 of those 40 points, and finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 37 minutes.

Gabby Williams did the rest. She hit three threes after half-time, the last of them cutting the lead to 63-62 with 7:18 left, then scored eight of Golden State's last 10 points.

Her driving layup made it 72-71 with 1:40 left and her pull-up jumper off a Burton pass put the Valkyries ahead 73-72 with 1:17 to go. When Awak Kuier blocked her layup with 13.1 seconds left, the ball went out of bounds and Golden State won a coach's challenge to keep it, with Williams getting her foot down in time.

Williams then made all four of her free throws in the last 10 seconds to finish with 19 points. The Wings did not make a field goal after Arike Ogunbowale's floater put them up 72-67 with 3:13 left.

Ogunbowale scored 30 for Dallas and Paige Bueckers 17, but Bueckers made three of 14 shots. Alanna Smith, the Wings' Australian, did not play.

Golden State won the series 2-1 after a 104-80 win in Game 1 and a 108-100 loss in Game 2, and now meet Talbot's Aces.

Borlase's Dream host Allen and Maley's Liberty in the other semi-final, with Game 1 at 3pm AEDT on Sunday, October 4. Every Australian left in the playoffs is in our WNBA playoffs guide.