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The Golden State Valkyries are WNBA champions in only their second season. Gabby Williams scored 30 points as Golden State defeated the Atlanta Dream 68 to 63 at Chase Center on October 31, winning the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history.
Williams earned Finals MVP honors after producing 28 of her points in the second half, a record for any half of a WNBA Finals game. Her scoring helped overturn Atlanta’s halftime advantage and delivered the decisive baskets in a tense closing stretch.
The victory makes Golden State the fastest expansion franchise to win a WNBA championship. A team that began playing in 2025 has now completed its second season holding the league’s biggest prize.
Williams changes the game after halftime
The opening half offered little indication of the scoring performance to come. Williams had just two points at the break, while Atlanta led 30 to 24 and remained in position to claim its own first championship.
Coach Natalie Nakase encouraged Williams to remain patient. The response came in the third quarter, when she scored 15 points, including Golden State’s final 11 of the period, to put the Valkyries ahead 45 to 44.
That burst gave Golden State a reliable source of offense in a game where scoring remained difficult. Williams continued to find answers in the fourth quarter, turning a quiet start into the defining performance of the series.
Her contribution extended to the other end of the floor. She finished with four blocks and two steals, combining the scoring Golden State needed with the defensive activity that had helped establish its identity throughout the season.
A late 3-pointer creates the decisive separation
Atlanta continued to challenge. Rhyne Howard’s layup brought the teams level at 57 to 57 with 2:41 remaining, leaving the championship within reach for either side.
Williams answered with a 3-pointer, then added two free throws. Kiah Stokes supplied another basket as Golden State established the advantage it needed to withstand Atlanta’s final attempts to recover.
The closing seconds still required composure. After Allisha Gray made two free throws and Atlanta forced a jump ball, Veronica Burton secured possession and converted two free throws with 5.1 seconds left.
Stokes finished with 13 rebounds and two blocks, providing support around Williams’ scoring. Golden State’s championship possession depended on several players completing their assignments, from protecting the basket to collecting the ball and making the final free throws.
Golden State completes a remarkably fast rise
The championship followed a substantial improvement across the whole season. After reaching the playoffs in their inaugural campaign, the Valkyries finished the 2026 regular season with a 32 to 12 record and the No. 2 playoff seed.
Their route through the postseason demanded different kinds of responses. Golden State survived a deciding first round game against Dallas, then swept Las Vegas in the semifinals before facing its longest test against Atlanta.
Natalie Nakase also adjusted during the Finals. After Golden State fell behind two games to one, she moved Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles into the starting lineup, changing the combinations available around her leading players.
Atlanta’s Game 6 victory prevented Golden State from finishing the series on the road. The Valkyries then returned home and won a deciding game in which they had to recover from a halftime deficit.
The club said Game 7 was its 53rd consecutive home sellout, extending a run covering every regular season and playoff home game since its launch. The championship gives that support a sporting achievement to match the franchise’s rapid growth.
Atlanta’s wait continues as the champions look ahead
Jordin Canada led Atlanta with 18 points, while Gray added 16. Angel Reese finished with eight points and 12 rebounds as the Dream fell short in their fourth Finals appearance.
Atlanta had extended the series with an emphatic offensive response in Game 6. In the deciding game, it held a six point halftime lead but could not contain Williams’ second half surge.
For Golden State, attention will eventually turn to retaining the balance that made this run possible. Front Office Sports reports that Williams, Burton and Stokes are under contract for next season, providing continuity as the franchise prepares to defend its title.
The immediate achievement is already secure. Golden State has its first championship, Nakase has guided an expansion team to the title in two seasons, and Williams has delivered the performance that settled the WNBA’s first seven game Finals.
