The Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA title after winning Game 7 68-63 to win the series 4-3 against the Atlanta Dream. Gabby Williams, who produced a historic performance with 30 points, three rebounds and two assists, not only carried her team on her back for much of the game, but was also selected as the Finals MVP, per a post on X by ClutchPoints.
The performance included a Finals-record 28 points in the second half as she had a major impact on both ends of the court. The Valkyries entered halftime trailing 30-24 after Atlanta outscored them 18-10 in the second quarter, but Williams took control in the third, scoring 15 points and making three consecutive three-pointers in a one-minute stretch to help Golden State take a 45-44 lead entering the fourth.
She subsequently delivered the decisive three-pointer with approximately two minutes remaining, giving the Valkyries a 60-57 advantage after Atlanta had fought back to tie the contest at 53. Golden State had opened the game with an 8-0 run and held Atlanta scoreless for nearly six minutes, recording five blocks before the Dream made their first field goal, but Atlanta responded to take control in the second quarter through Jordin Canada's scoring.
The Dream finished the opening half with a six-point advantage, but Williams' third-quarter explosion shifted the momentum. The championship completed a remarkable postseason run for the second-year Valkyries, who entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
The Valkyries ultimately secured the title in front of their home crowd at Chase Center. Atlanta, meanwhile, suffered another Finals disappointment, having now appeared in the championship series four times without winning a title.
Williams averaged close to 20 points per game along with around 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game to win the first Finals MVP of her career.