Golden State Valkyries win first WNBA title in historic Game 7 victory

The Golden State Valkyries captured their first WNBA championship on Saturday night, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in the first Game 7 in league history.

Gabby Williams led the Valkyries at Chase Center with 30 points and four blocked shots, earning Finals MVP honors. According to Fox News, Williams scored 28 of her points in the second half, including a 31-foot three-pointer with 2:18 remaining that broke a 57-57 tie. NBC News reported that Williams had only two points at halftime but followed coaching advice from Natalie Nakase to remain patient before scoring 15 points in the third quarter.

The Atlanta Dream were led by Jordin Canada with 18 points, but star Angel Reese struggled in the finale. CBS News reported that Reese finished with eight points on 3-for-7 shooting. Fox News noted that Reese scored only one point in the fourth quarter and committed more turnovers than made field goals for the fourth consecutive game.

Prior to tipoff, both teams departed the court during the national anthem. Fox News reported that both squads left the floor before the anthem for all seven games of the series. The victory marks the first championship for the Valkyries in only their second season of existence, while the Dream have now lost all four of their franchise appearances in the WNBA Finals.

The 2026 season concluded with record-breaking metrics for the league. CBS News reported that the WNBA set a new attendance record of 3.8 million fans, while networks including ESPN, ABC, and CBS saw their most-watched seasons ever. The Finals victory followed a regular season where the Valkyries went 32-12 before defeating Dallas and Las Vegas in the playoffs.

Background

The Valkyries reached the championship in their second year after an inaugural season where they were the only expansion team to make the playoffs. The WNBA transitioned from a five-game series to a seven-game series format starting last year.