10/31/2026 11:06:00
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10/31 23:04 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) --- A fresh WNBA CHAMPIONS T-shirt over her uniform, Gabby
Williams cradled the shiny MVP trophy in one arm and gave it a kiss. She held
up a No. 1 with her left hand, then hugged and high-fived her supporters all
the way to Golden State's locker room where she pulled on some goggles for the
celebration.
Williams made her way back to the Bay Area where she cherishes so many youth
basketball memories exactly for a chance to do something like this --- to win
it all and be part of building something special.
And she has done that all right.
"I just walked into a group full of love," Williams said. "And that just
changed the entire trajectory of my career."
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 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.
"Gabby is our closer she stayed patient, she stayed with it," coach Natalie
Nakase said. "Closing with 30, that is incredible!"
Williams joined Penny Taylor in 2007 for Phoenix as the only players in WNBA
history to score 30 or more points in a winner-takes-all Finals game.
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 --- now a four-time
WNBA champion --- 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 determined to prove herself as a
WNBA star after all her international success --- and now she's a postseason
icon. 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.
Nakase told Williams at halftime the game would open up for her.
"Nat told me to stay patient, I trust her with my life," Williams said. "I
stayed patient."
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.
"These ladies deserve all the credit in the world for the incredible
resilience, every last one of them, and our coach," he said later. "I can't
even say how proud I am. I don't care men, women, whatever, it doesn't matter,
that is an incredible year, an incredible performance, not only tonight but the
whole playoffs."
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