The Golden State Valkyries captured a WNBA championship in their second season on Saturday, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in San Francisco behind a decisive performance from Gabby Williams. Named Finals Most Valuable Player, Williams delivered 28 of her game-high 30 points in the second half of the league’s first championship series game seven.
Golden State recovered from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter before Williams took control of the closing stages. Atlanta’s Allisha Gray made a short jumper to tie the score at 53 with 5:14 remaining. Williams subsequently contributed two free throws and a driving basket as the sides traded scores, then sank a 31-foot three-pointer with 2:18 left to put the Valkyries ahead for good, 60-57.
Williams added another pair of free throws before Kiah Stokes tipped in her teammate’s missed shot with 53 seconds remaining, extending Golden State’s advantage to 64-57. Williams then won a jump ball against Gray with 8.3 seconds left. Veronica Burton was fouled with 5.1 seconds remaining and scored the game’s final points.
After managing only two points before halftime, Williams became the first player in WNBA postseason history to score 28 in a single half. She played 38 minutes and made 10 of 23 field-goal attempts, while contributing four of Golden State’s eight blocks. Her series totals of 137 points and 18 steals both established WNBA Finals records.
Stokes helped contain Atlanta’s Angel Reese to eight points and collected a game-high 13 rebounds. Her two blocks brought her series total to a Finals-record 19 as she secured her fourth championship. Burton finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while Tiffany Hayes added 11 points. Golden State prevailed despite converting only five of its 20 three-point attempts.
Jordin Canada led Atlanta with 18 points, followed by Gray with 16. Reese grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. The Dream made 23 of 69 shots overall, a 33.3 percent return, and six of 30 from three-point range. Their opening 5:19 produced no points, with eight consecutive missed shots and four turnovers allowing Golden State to establish an 8-0 lead.
Dream coach Karl Smesko pointed to several poor stretches, particularly those opening minutes, as costly missed opportunities. Reese expressed appreciation for her teammates while acknowledging the disappointment. “It’s tough in the moment, but we’ll be back,” she said.
The capacity crowd of 18,064 at Chase Center received tributes from Williams, coach Natalie Nakase and owner Joe Lacob during the celebrations. Supporters have sold out every home game in the franchise’s history, setting league attendance records. Williams, the team’s only All-Star and an offseason free-agent addition, credited the community with giving her energy throughout the season.
Nakase guided a roster assembled from players left unprotected in the expansion draft, international additions and a key free-agent signing to the league’s second-best regular-season record and the championship. Addressing supporters and a national television audience, she dedicated the achievement to people who felt underrated or misunderstood and credited the commitment of her team.
