Valkyries vs. Sparks: Chen and Williams Rally Golden State to No. 2 Seed, Spoiling Nneka Ogwumike's Finale

Nneka Ogwumike's last game was supposed to be a celebration. For about 38 minutes, it was. Then Kaitlyn Chen and Gabby Williams crashed the party, and the Golden State Valkyries stole a win that looked impossible with two minutes to play.

Golden State won 76-75 on Thursday night after trailing by 10 with 2:10 to play. Chen poured in 14 of her 18 points in the fourth, Williams supplied eight in the last 90 seconds, and a 14-0 Valkyries run flipped the game before Rae Burrell's 3 with 0.4 seconds left made it a one-point final. Per the AP, the win locked up the No. 2 seed for Golden State and spoiled the final game of Ogwumike's 15-year career.

The Sparks Had This One Wrapped Up

For most of the night, Los Angeles was the better team. The Sparks led 35-26 at halftime, and a 9-0 run that started late in the second quarter and carried into the third pushed the lead to 41-26. Los Angeles led by as many as 16 and held the lead for most of the game.

Ogwumike was everywhere. She finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, and according to the AP, it was her 19th double-double of the season and the 134th of her career, which ranks sixth in league history. The former WNBA MVP had made her plan public back on Aug. 19: this season would be her last.

Golden State trailed 55-46 entering the fourth quarter, and Ariel Atkins' pullup jumper with 4:42 left made it 69-57. At that point, this looked like a perfect send-off. It was the last field goal the Sparks would make until the game's final second.

Chen Lit the Fuse

Chen was the reason Golden State hung around. She scored on a finger roll at 4:29, hit a 3-pointer at 3:49 and converted a three-point play on a driving layup at 2:10. That last one cut a 72-62 deficit to 72-65, and Golden State never stopped scoring after that.

She finished 8 of 12 from the field in 21 minutes off the bench, and she was a plus-6. On a night when Golden State shot 39% as a team and 5 of 18 from 3-point range, her efficiency was the difference between a respectable loss and a shot at a win.

Gabby Williams Took Over

Then came Williams. With 1:30 left, she drilled a 27-foot 3-pointer off a Veronica Burton feed to make it 72-68. Then she came up with a steal at the other end and finished a running layup at 1:03, and suddenly it was 72-70.

Los Angeles missed, and Williams came back with a 24-foot 3 off a Kiah Stokes assist with 20.8 seconds left to put Golden State ahead 73-72. It was Golden State's first lead since early in the second quarter. Los Angeles got two looks on the ensuing possession, and both missed before Stokes cleaned up the glass.

Then things got messy for Los Angeles. With 10.8 seconds left, a technical on Sparks coach Lynne Roberts sent Kayla Thornton to the line, and she made it 74-72. Fouled with 8.5 seconds to go, Thornton calmly sank two more for a 76-72 cushion. Burrell's 23-footer at the end only trimmed the margin to one.

Williams finished with 14 points in just 20 minutes, and Burton added 17 points with five assists and a perfect 6 of 6 at the line. Stokes had seven points and 12 rebounds.

The Sparks Ran Out of Gas

Dearica Hamby and Burrell each scored 15 for Los Angeles. Burrell was 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and Hamby went 7 of 9 at the line. Atkins added seven and Erica Wheeler had five points and five assists.

The Sparks moved the ball well, dishing out 22 assists to Golden State's 13, and they hit 9 of 25 from deep. But the final four and a half minutes were a disaster. After Atkins' jumper, Los Angeles scored only six points, three of them on free throws, and its only field goal was Burrell's 3 in the final second.

The Turning Point

Williams' steal and layup at 1:03. Down 72-68, Golden State needed a stop, and Williams turned it into a two-point game in one possession. Without that steal, the go-ahead 3 never happens. With it, the Valkyries suddenly believed, and a Sparks team that had controlled the night could not buy a basket.

Stats That Matter

• 14-0: Golden State's closing run, from down 72-62 to up 76-72.
• 14: Chen's fourth-quarter points.
• 42-32: The Valkyries' edge in points in the paint.
• 17 of 21: Golden State's free throw shooting. The Sparks went 10 of 15.
• 15: Ogwumike's rebounds in her final game.

What It Means

Golden State improves to 32-12 and is 15-7 on the road. With the No. 2 seed secured, the Valkyries open a first-round series against seventh-seeded Dallas on Sunday. They also swept the season series against Los Angeles 3-0.

This was a bounce-back win after a loss at Portland on Tuesday, and Golden State has now won seven of its last eight. The Sparks finish the season 16-28, including 8-14 at home, after losing their last two games.

Closing Take

There is something almost cruel about the timing. Ogwumike gave Los Angeles a vintage performance in her final game, and the Valkyries took the ending away from her in the final two minutes. It is like a beloved show's series finale getting hijacked by a guest star in the very last scene. Ogwumike did everything a legend is supposed to do on her way out, and the scoreboard still did not cooperate.

But that is the WNBA in 2026. Golden State is not interested in anyone's farewell tour. The Valkyries are interested in the playoffs, and they head into them with the No. 2 seed, a 3-0 record against the Sparks and proof that a 10-point deficit with two minutes left is merely a suggestion.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details as reported by the Associated Press.