The Golden State Valkyries are WNBA champions. They beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 on Saturday night at Chase Center, winning the first Game 7 in the history of the WNBA Finals and the franchise’s first title, in only its second season.

Gabby Williams carried them. The forward scored 30 points, 28 of them after halftime, making 4 of 8 three-pointers and all six of her free throws, and blocked four shots. Golden State trailed 30-24 at halftime after Atlanta won the second quarter 18-10, then took over: the Valkyries outscored the Dream 21-14 in the third quarter and 23-19 in the fourth.

Veronica Burton added 10 points and 10 rebounds, Tiffany Hayes scored 11 and Kiah Stokes grabbed 13 rebounds. Jordin Canada led Atlanta with 18 points and Allisha Gray scored 16, while Angel Reese finished with 8 points and 12 rebounds. Points were hard to come by on both ends: the Dream shot 33 percent from the field and 6 of 30 from three, and Golden State made 15 of its 16 free throws.

Coach Natalie Nakase’s team finished the regular season 32-12 and entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. It needed three games to get past the Dallas Wings in the first round, swept the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, and then needed all seven games against a Dream team that had not lost a playoff game until the Finals.

How the series turned

Golden State took Game 1, 68-64, then lost the next two, including a 97-71 defeat in Game 3. The Valkyries answered with defense: they held Atlanta to 62 points in Game 4 and 55 in Game 5 to move within one win of the title.

Atlanta forced Game 7 on Thursday. The Dream led 46-26 at halftime and by as many as 25 in the third quarter of an 80-69 win, with Allisha Gray scoring 23 points and Rhyne Howard 21. The best-of-seven Finals format began in 2025; this was the first series to go the distance.

Built in two years

The roster that won it was shaped over a single offseason. Golden State signed All-Star Gabby Williams from Seattle and Kiah Stokes from Las Vegas, and re-signed All-Star Kayla Thornton, guard Veronica Burton on a three-year deal, and Janelle Salaün. Stokes arrived with three titles from Las Vegas; this one is the franchise’s first.

For the Dream, the loss extends a long wait. Atlanta, in its 19th season, has now reached the Finals four times without winning the title.

What’s next

The championship banner goes up at Chase Center next season. Championship hats and T-shirts are typically the first gear on sale, with more following over the next few weeks. Our Valkyries champions gift guide covers what to buy now and what to wait for, and the Valkyries news page follows the celebration and the offseason.