10/31/2026 09:53:00
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10/31 21:51 CDT Gabby Williams leads Valkyries to WNBA championship in second
season, beating Dream 68-63 in Game 7
Gabby Williams leads Valkyries to WNBA championship in second season, beating
Dream 68-63 in Game 7
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --- Gabby Williams scored her team's final 11 points of the
third quarter and dazzled through the fourth on the way to 30 points, and the
Golden State Valkyries captured a championship in just their second season by
beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a sensational first WNBA Finals Game 7 on
Saturday night.
Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Allisha Gray 16 and Angel Reese had eight
points and 12 rebounds for the Dream, denied another championship in the
franchise's fourth try.
Gray made two free throws with 11 seconds left then Atlanta forced a jump ball
--- Gray against Williams --- and Veronica Burton corralled it and converted
two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go.
"I'm just so blessed, this is insane!" said Burton, cut by Dallas two years ago.
Rhyne Howard's layup tied it at 57 with 2:41 left only for Williams to answer
once more with a clutch 3-pointer. She converted two free throws with 1:40
remaining, then Kiah Stokes scored a late basket. Stokes pulled down 13
rebounds and blocked two more shots to cap her spectacular postseason.
Williams left Seattle with a great feeling about joining Golden State and its
close-knit culture, returning to the Bay Area where she played youth basketball
to build something special with the Valkyries --- and she's now done that. Fans
chanted "Gabby! Gabby!" throughout the fourth quarter.
"All it took was good people," she said. "All we heard last year was we don't
have no stars. We don't have no talent. Yeah right! We got good people. We got
good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on
the floor to win a game."
When the final buzzer sounded, the violet-clad sellout crowd at Chase Center
went into a frenzy as players sprinted onto the floor to hug and celebrate as
confetti fell from the rafters.
"Ballhalla" had become "Boohalla" for this far-but-haunted Halloween night in
the raucous arena. Now, with a women's championship to its name right alongside
the one earned by the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
"We gotta build a bigger trophy case," co-owner Peter Guber said.
The team that led at halftime in the first six matchups had won every game so
far, and the Dream were ahead 30-24 at the break. Atlanta also had been 16-0
this season when Reese made at least one 3. The Dream's DeWanna Bonner became
the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive
rebounds.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase changed her starting lineup in a move that paid
huge dividends after Golden State fell behind 2-1, inserting Kaila Charles and
Tiffany Hayes and bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini off the bench.
The 37-year-old Hayes, who came out of retirement two years ago and spent 10
seasons with the Dream, scored 11 points in the winner-take-all Game 7 and
brought energy all series that made Nakase want to win for the veteran guard as
much as anybody.
Valkyries owner Joe Lacob guaranteed a championship within the first five years
for this franchise three years ago when the Bay Area was granted an expansion
team, and in improbable, joyful fashion, his team accomplished it in Year 2.
That after becoming the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in
its inaugural year in 2025.
During the victory ceremony, Lacob shouted out the team and its leaders, while
Nakase, general manager Ohemma Nyanin and President Jess Smith hugged. And
Lacob thanked the fans who have sold out Chase Center for every game since Day
1.
"Ballhalla!" Lacob hollered.
___
See AP's full WNBA coverage here
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