WNBA semis winners and losers: Valkyries’ defense downs Aces, Jordin Canada lifts Dream past Liberty in Game 1

The semifinals of the 2026 WNBA playoffs got underway on Sunday when the Atlanta Dream used a dominant third quarter to surge past the New York Liberty for a 92-82 win. They lost star guard Allisha Gray to a hand injury in the process, however, and her status for the rest of the series is unclear.

Out in the Bay Area, the Golden State Valkyries defended their home court with a 71-60 victory over the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces. There was another injury in that contest when Jewell Loyd left with a leg injury in the third quarter. Her status for the rest of that series is also unclear.

All teams will enjoy two days off before the action continues with a Game 2 doubleheader on Wednesday. Before we look ahead to those matchups, let's take a look back at some winners and losers from Sunday.

Canada has long been one of the most reliable point guards in the league, but has generally flown under the radar on a national level. That will change if she keeps playing like she did on Sunday, which continued a stellar showing to begin the playoffs.

Gray only played 11 minutes due to…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/