The Golden State Valkyries won the WNBA championship Saturday night, beating the Atlanta Dream 68 to 63 in Game 7 at Chase Center in San Francisco to claim the first title in franchise history.
The Valkyries did it in just their second season in the league. It was also the first Game 7 ever played in the WNBA Finals, which switched to a best of seven format last year.
Gabby Williams carried Golden State with 30 points, hitting four 3 pointers, going a perfect 6 for 6 at the free throw line and blocking four shots. Veronica Burton posted a double double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Kiah Stokes pulled down 13 rebounds, and Tiffany Hayes added 11 points.
Atlanta led 30 to 24 at halftime, but the Valkyries took over after the break. Golden State won the third quarter 21 to 14 and the fourth 23 to 19, outscoring the Dream 44 to 33 in the second half. Their defense finished with eight blocks, and Atlanta shot just 33 percent from the field and 20 percent from 3.
Jordin Canada led the Dream with 18 points, and Allisha Gray scored 16. Angel Reese finished with 8 points and 12 rebounds.
The series went back and forth from the start. Golden State took Game 1 at home 68 to 64, then Atlanta won the next two, including a 97 to 71 blowout in Game 3. The Valkyries answered with wins in Games 4 and 5 to go up 3 to 2. The Dream forced Game 7 with an 80 to 69 win in Atlanta on Thursday, a game where Williams scored 26 in a losing effort.
Back home on Halloween in front of a costumed crowd at the arena fans call Ballhalla, the Valkyries closed it out.
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The WNBA championship caps a fast rise for the franchise. In 2025, Golden State became the first expansion team in league history to make the playoffs in its first season. This year, the Valkyries went 32 and 12 to earn the No. 2 seed, beat the Dallas Wings in the first round and swept the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals before outlasting the Dream.
Williams, who signed with Golden State in April after playing overseas for Fenerbahçe in Turkey, became the face of the run. She averaged over 20 points a game in the playoffs heading into Game 7. Head coach Natalie Nakase, the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history, now has a WNBA championship in her second season on the sideline.
