Golden State Valkyries vs. Las Vegas Aces preview: A’ja Wilson continues campaign for fifth MVP

A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces are hosting the Golden State Valkyries for their third meeting of the season on Sunday afternoon. The game is set for 4 p.m. ET and will be available on CBS and Paramount+.

The Aces have an 11-4 overall record and have won seven out of their last eight games. They suffered a shocking 96-66 loss to Dallas on Monday, but they bounced back two days later with an 86-76 win against Phoenix. That game showcased the Aces’ defensive potential as they combined for 18 steals, and it also earned them a ticket to the Commissioner’s Cup Championship against the New York Liberty on June 30.

Golden State is 10-6 overall and had four consecutive victories until an 81-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday. Losing is never ideal, but it was still an impressive showing against the top team in the league. Cecilia Zandalasini led that effort with a career-high 23 points.

Where to watch Golden State Valkyries vs. Las Vegas Aces

Date: Sunday, June 21  Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Michelob ULTRA Arena — Las Vegas
TV:  CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds (via FanDuel): Aces -4.5, O/U: 167.5

Last meeting

The Valkyries are a newer franchise, so these teams have only faced each other six times. Las Vegas holds a 5-1 record in their all-time series, with their very first meeting in 2025 being the only win for Golden State.

The Aces won their first two encounters this season, with the most recent one being an 84-79 win in Las Vegas on June 6. A’ja Wilson led the way with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Jackie Young was also a major contributor with 27 points. Meanwhile, Gabby Williams led the Valkyries’ offense with 27 points.

A’ja Wilson campaigning for fifth MVP

Wilson already has a WNBA-record four MVP awards and she is the top candidates to win it this year. She is leading the league in scoring with 26.1 points per contest while shooting an efficient 52.6% from the field. She also has a league-best 2.2 blocks per game and is in the top five with 9.1 rebounds. 

Per usual, she was a key part of the Aces’ 86-76 win over the Mercury earlier this week with 33 points on 55% shooting, along with 10 rebounds, five steals, three assists and two blocks. That marked her fourth 30-point outing and eighth double-double of 2026. Unsurprisingly, she also leads all players in initial 2026 WNBA All-Star fan voting.

Kiah Stokes playing against her old team

This is Stokes’ first year with the Valkyries after spending four seasons with the Aces and winning three titles with them. She is now the starting center for Golden State and is leading the team with 1.6 blocks per contest while also contributing 5.1 rebounds per game. Earlier this season, Stokes talked about how tough it was to face her old team, especially going against Wilson.

“I’m not gonna lie, I don’t like being on the other end of it,” Stokes told The Mirror after their first matchup. “But she is a great player. It’s hard to stop her. I think personally I could have done a lot of things differently and better but it was kind of emotional, just like, former team, seeing all my old teammates, all of the coaches. So it was just a lot going on.”