In their second season, the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history.
The Golden State Valkyries are WNBA champions after only two seasons in existence. According to NBC News, they beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 on Saturday at the Chase Center in San Francisco. It was the first Game 7 the WNBA Finals have ever had.
Forward Gabby Williams led all scorers with 30 points and was named Finals MVP. Confetti fell on the court as the crowd erupted. “I love moments like this,” Williams said after the final buzzer.
Her night was unusual. She managed only two points in the first half, then scored 15 in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth. NBC News reported that she scored more points in a half than anyone ever has in a WNBA postseason game. Williams credited head coach Natalie Nakase for urging her to be patient early on. Accepting her award, she said, “I wasn’t gonna lose on Halloween.”
Kiah Stokes led the team with 13 rebounds. Speaking about her fourth career title, she said her teammates were amazing and that the love the group feels is incredible. She added that this championship “just might be as good as my first.”
Guard Veronica Burton, who played a central role in the offense, was asked what she would tell her younger self. NBC News noted that a few years ago Burton was working out at a YMCA and waiting for a WNBA chance. “I would tell her it’s all worth it,” Burton said, adding that the team did not let anyone put a limit on it all year.
Golden State won the opener, but Atlanta responded with double-digit blowout wins to lead the series 2-1. According to NBC News, Nakase then shortened her rotation after Game 3 and changed several players in her starting lineup.
She leaned more heavily on Williams, Stokes and Burton, and the Valkyries won two straight games to go up 3-2. Atlanta avoided elimination in Game 6, played at State Farm Arena, a far larger venue than the Dream's usual home court, which seats fewer than 4,000. That game tipped off at 12:30 p.m. ET because of scheduling difficulties around earlier events at the arena, NBC News reported.
Golden State went 23-21 in its inaugural season and lost in the first round of the playoffs. NBC News said it was the only expansion team to make the postseason in its first year. Before the 2026 season, the club rebuilt its front court. It signed Williams after her first All-Star selection and added Stokes, formerly of the Las Vegas Aces, in free agency.
Williams became the leading scorer, Stokes gave the team a rebounding presence inside, and fifth-year guard Burton led the team in assists during the regular season. Nakase, a two-time champion as a player and the reigning Coach of the Year, guided the group through the Finals.
The success on the court has come with a business boom. The franchise shares its main ownership group with the NBA's Golden State Warriors. In May, CNBC valued the team at $1 billion, making it the first WNBA team to reach that mark. The Valkyries also led the league in average and total attendance during the regular season. They have sold out every home game in two seasons at the Chase Center, which fans call “Ballhalla.”
NBC News reported that the excitement around the team should only grow with the championship trophy in hand. The Valkyries now look to win back to back in 2027.
External links are provided for reference. Unscrolled is not responsible for the content of external sites.
SportsOne person died and eight were hurt in a shooting near Legion Field in Birmingham after the Magic City Classic, one of several violent incidents across the country over Halloween weekend, according to CBS News.
SportsA JAMA Network Open study estimates about 75% of NFL players who died between 2008 and 2023 had CTE, the highest figure yet.
SportsSeveral Chinese brands cut ties with Kylian Mbappé after a clip circulated of him joking about dictator memes.