A’ja Wilson said the frustration would linger after the Golden State Valkyries ended the Las Vegas Aces’ title defense Friday night. The 87-77 overtime loss at Michelob Ultra Arena completed a three-game sweep of the Aces in the WNBA semifinals, closing the defending champions’ season on their home court.

ClutchPoints took to X, formerly Twitter, Saturday with a clip of Wilson’s postgame press conference, credited to the WNBA. Seated beside Chelsea Gray, Wilson discussed the disappointment of elimination while acknowledging that her offseason had arrived.

"In 24 hours will probably still gonna be heated, but at the same time, [in] 24 hours I'm gonna be kicking my feet up."

— A’ja Wilson 😅

(via @WNBA)
pic.twitter.com/NpE3l1vHlN

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 10, 2026

Wilson’s response followed a night that began with recognition of another individual milestone. The Aces honored her before tipoff after she won her record fifth WNBA MVP award Thursday. She also became the first player in league history to earn the honor in three consecutive seasons.

Wilson finished Game 3 with 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting and 10 rebounds. She combined with Jackie Young and Gray for 56 points, but the Aces could not maintain their advantage after halftime.

Las Vegas led by as many as 11 points before its offense stalled. The Aces managed just seven points in the third quarter as Golden State scored 17 to move back into contention.

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A late Wilson turnover helped the Valkyries tie the game during the fourth quarter. Although the Aces forced overtime, Golden State controlled the extra period, outscoring them 16-6 to complete the sweep.

Former Aces players Kiah Stokes and Tiffany Hayes contributed to the victory, helping eliminate a franchise that had won three of the previous four championships.

The Valkyries will host the Atlanta Dream when the WNBA Finals begin October 17. For the Aces, the sweep ends their pursuit of consecutive championships and sends the two-time WNBA Finals MVP into the offseason one round short of another Finals appearance.