Valkyries secure WNBA Finals spot with OT win over the Aces, face the Dream next

LAS VEGAS (AP) — If the Aces set the recent standard by winning three of the four past titles, the Valkyries are showing that not all the WNBA history making these days belongs only to Las Vegas.Golden State last season became the first expansion franchise to make the playoffs, and now in its second year is the quickest to reach the WNBA Finals.Kayla Thornton scored 18 points to lead the deep, defensive-minded Valkyries past the Aces 87-77 in overtime Friday night, sweeping the defending champions in three games.“It feels special because this is a special group,” said Gabby Williams, who scored 16 points for the Valkyries, including eight in overtime. “We're about to have some bandwagoners, but we ain't got no love all season. Nobody believed in us, but it made us smile because we were like, ‘All we need is each other.’”The second-seeded Valkyries will have home-court advantage and will host No. 4 Atlanta beginning Oct. 17. The Dream swept New York earlier in the night, and now teams a