Golden State Valkyries Win First WNBA Title in Game 7 Behind Gabby Williams 30 Points

The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on 31 October 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco. Gabby Williams scored 30 points, 28 of them in the second half, and was named Finals MVP. The victory gave the expansion team its first championship in only its second season of existence. It was also the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history. The series ended 4-3.

Williams scored just two points in the first half. She then added 15 in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth. She made a 31-foot three-pointer with 2:18 left that put Golden State ahead 60-57. The Valkyries never trailed again. Kiah Stokes converted a Williams miss with 53 seconds remaining. Veronica Burton sealed the win with two free throws with 5.1 seconds left after winning a jump ball. Williams finished with four blocks, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. She set series records with 137 points and 18 steals.

Jordin Canada scored 18 points for Atlanta. Allisha Gray added 16. Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds. The Dream held a lead at times but shot poorly in the decisive moments. Golden State made only five of 20 three-point attempts yet still controlled the final quarter. Stokes finished with 13 rebounds and two blocks, extending her Finals record for blocks. The Valkyries became the first team to win the championship without a single All-WNBA selection in that season.

The franchise began play in 2025 and reached the playoffs in its first year, finishing 23-21 before a first-round exit. Owner Joe Lacob had set a public goal of winning a title within five seasons. Head coach Natalie Nakase, hired after an interview in which she told Lacob the team would win a championship, delivered the title in two years. The Valkyries added Williams and Stokes in free agency before the 2026 season. Williams averaged a career-high 14.4 points and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

The game was played on Halloween in front of a crowd of about 18000 wearing violet. Confetti fell after the final buzzer. Williams held the MVP trophy and told the broadcast that the team had winners ready to put their bodies on the floor. The Valkyries are the fastest expansion franchise in a major North American professional league to win a title since 1967, surpassing the previous mark set by the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Atlanta’s Angel Reese said the Dream’s fan base had poured energy into the team and that they would return. The series included physical play across seven games. Golden State won Game 1 68-64, lost some middle contests, and forced the deciding game. No other expansion team in the NBA, BAA, or WNBA has won a title this quickly. The Valkyries now hold the championship after two seasons.