On a Saturday night at Chase Center, the Golden State Valkyries closed out the WNBA Finals with a 68-63 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7, claiming a franchise championship in only their second season. It is a rare thing in sport for a young team to arrive so quickly at the summit, and the result sits within a longer human pattern in which the newcomer's rise is measured against the old dynasties it resembles. Williams, a 30-year-old former fourth overall pick, carried the decisive second half, while Atlanta, still without a title after four Finals trips, was left to ask what the night
Golden State Valkyries win first WNBA title in just their second season, beating Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7
Violet confetti fell on a franchise only two seasons old
Mark
Two seasons, and a championship. Why does the speed matter so much?
Mimi
Because nobody in the five major North American leagues has done it faster. The Bucks needed three seasons in 1970-71, and that stood as the record until Saturday.
Mark
The game itself was ugly early, wasn't it?
Mimi
Very. Atlanta missed its first 10 shots, then Golden State went more than seven minutes without a field goal. It was 24 points for the Valkyries at halftime.
Luke
Worth noting that low scoring wasn't a one-off. The reporting says it was the ninth time in this series a team stayed under 30 in a half.
Mark
And then Gabby Williams happened.
Mimi
Twenty-eight of her 30 points came after halftime, a Finals record for a half. Three threes in the third, a 17-3 run to close it, and a 31-footer late.
Luke
The record and the point totals are reported as fact. But the idea that her energy came from the crowd is her own account in an interview, not something we can verify.
Mark
What about Lacob's promise?
Mimi
Three years ago he said a title within five years. He delivered in two seasons of play.
Luke
What we don't know is what comes next for either roster. The reporting doesn't say, and Atlanta's wait for a first title simply continues.
O Pulso
- Golden State spent most of the first half trailing badly, unable to find a field goal for minutes at a time while Atlanta built its biggest lead.
- Gabby Williams ignited a 17-3 run in the third quarter, and the arena's energy turned from anxiety to eruption in a matter of minutes.
- With Atlanta trimming the margin to three in the final seconds, the game hung on a single jump ball that Williams won to seal it.
- Atlanta's fourth Finals defeat without a title leaves the franchise still searching, while Golden State stands as the fastest expansion team in major North American history to win a championship.
On a Saturday night at Chase Center, the Golden State Valkyries closed out the WNBA Finals with a 68-63 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7, claiming a franchise championship in only their second season. It is a rare thing in sport for a young team to arrive so quickly at the summit, and the result sits within a longer human pattern in which the newcomer's rise is measured against the old dynasties it resembles. Williams, a 30-year-old former fourth overall pick, carried the decisive second half, while Atlanta, still without a title after four Finals trips, was left to ask what the night had cost them.
On Saturday night at Chase Center, violet confetti fell from the rafters as the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals. It was the franchise's first title, and it came in only its second season, a pace no team in the NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLB or NFL has matched after entering its league.
The night began in Golden State's favor, with an 8-0 run that quickly gave way. Atlanta missed its first ten shots and then found its rhythm, and the Dream carried a six-point halftime lead into the locker room while the Valkyries struggled to find the basket at all. Golden State's three-point shooting went cold for an extended stretch, and the team did not reach 30 points in the half.
The third quarter turned the series. Gabby Williams hit three three-pointers and then a jumper that gave Golden State the lead, and the Valkyries closed the period on a 17-3 run. Gray tied the game midway through the fourth, but Williams answered with a 31-foot three that put the home side ahead, and a late steal and a jump ball she won sealed the victory.
Williams was named Finals MVP after scoring 30 points, 28 of them in the second half, a WNBA Finals record. "I wasn't going to lose on Halloween," she said, crediting the staff, the community and the Bay. Coach Natalie Nakase pointed to a culture of "unconditional love that is unbreakable," and owner Joe Lacob, who had promised a title within five years, shouted "Ballhalla" to the crowd.
For Atlanta, it was a fourth Finals appearance and still no championship. Allisha Gray scored 16 and Angel Reese added eight points and 12 rebounds, while DeWanna Bonner became the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds.
On Saturday night at Chase Center, violet confetti fell from the rafters after the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals. It was the franchise's first championship, and it came in only its second season.
No team in the NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLB or NFL has won a title faster after entering its league. The Milwaukee Bucks held the previous mark, winning the NBA title in 1970-71, their third season. The Valkyries were awarded the franchise in 2023 and debuted in 2025, going 23-21 and becoming the first expansion team in league history to reach the playoffs in its first year.
History favored Golden State going in: home teams had won 11 of the last 13 winner-take-all games in the Finals. The early minutes fit that pattern. The Valkyries opened with an 8-0 run while Atlanta missed its first 10 shots from the field and committed two turnovers. Then Angel Reese and Allisha Gray found their shooting, and the Dream took a two-point lead into the second quarter.
The game then flipped. Atlanta ran off a 9-0 stretch, led by guard Jordin Canada, to build its biggest lead of the night. Six minutes into the second quarter the Valkyries had no field goals, their last having come in the final seconds of the first, and only three free throws. They missed their first 10 three-pointers, and Kayla Thornton finally hit one with three minutes left in the half, ending a drought of more than seven minutes without a field goal. Atlanta led by six at halftime, with Golden State at 24 points. It was the ninth time in the series a team failed to reach 30 in a half.
The lead grew to nine midway through the third quarter, but Cecilia Zandalasini cut it to five, and Gabby Williams took over from there. The 30-year-old, a former fourth overall pick, hit three three-pointers in the quarter to bring Golden State within one. The Valkyries closed the period on a 17-3 run, and Williams's jumper gave them the lead as the arena erupted. She opened the fourth with a pull-up jumper, and Golden State went up five early in the quarter. Gray tied the game with a jumper at the midpoint of the period.
The teams traded baskets until Williams hit a 31-foot three-pointer to put Golden State up three with just over two minutes left. The lead reached seven with under a minute to go. Atlanta trimmed it to three with eight seconds left, but Williams won the jump ball that sealed it.
Williams was named Finals MVP after scoring 30 points, 28 of them in the second half, a WNBA Finals record for points in a half. "I wasn't going to lose on Halloween," she told the USA Network broadcast, crediting the staff, the community and the Bay for giving her energy every night. Second-year coach Natalie Nakase pointed to the team's culture: "We had unconditional love that is unbreakable."
Owner Joe Lacob, who also owns the four-time champion Golden State Warriors, had promised fans three years ago that the team would win a title within its first five years. He told the players they were incredible, then shouted "Ballhalla" to the crowd.
For Atlanta, it was the franchise's fourth Finals appearance and still no title. Gray finished with 16 points, and Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds. DeWanna Bonner became the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds.
Citações Notáveis
I wasn't going to lose on Halloween.— Gabby Williams, Finals MVP, to USA Network
We had unconditional love that is unbreakable.— Natalie Nakase, Valkyries coach
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