WNBA Finals: Gabby Williams' 30-point night leads Valkyries over Dream in Game 7 for team's first championship

The Golden State Valkyries are the 2026 WNBA Champions, taking home the trophy in just their second year of existence. The Valkyries capped off a grueling Finals series with a thrilling 68-63 Game 7 victory. The win was fueled by a stellar performance from star forward Gabby Williams, who scored 28 points in the second half to lift Golden State to the trophy.THE GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES ARE 2026 WNBA CHAMPIONS 🏆The Valkyries are the FASTEST WNBA franchise to win a title (two seasons) 🤯👏 pic.twitter.com/U6D3ZdpWX3— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 1, 2026 The league's first Finals Game 7 since expanding the playoff format last year lived up to the billing: Both teams traded leads in the low-scoring matchup, as things stayed very tight until the final seconds. But the Valkyries emerged triumphant in front of a packed, raucous crowd at Golden State's Chase Center — or Ballhalla, as it's affectionately known — on Halloween night.THAT'LL DO IT! 🙌IN JUST THEIR SECOND YEAR OF EXISTENCE, THE GOLDEN STATE VALKYRIES ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE WNBA 🏆 pic.twitter.com/GckMgbfKwj— USA Sports (@usasports) November 1, 2026 The Valkyries' defense showed up early, with Golden State holding the Dream completely scoreless for nearly six minutes to start the first quarter. But Atlanta finally broke through with a layup from Angel Reese at the 4:07 mark before going on a big run to get back into the game.The second quarter also saw a run from the Dream, who outscored Golden State 18-10 after keeping them quiet for more than five minutes. Atlanta then went into halftime with a 30-24 lead, after a hot 13-point quarter from Jordin Canada.The Valkyries picked up the pace in the third quarter, even as things stayed tight. Despite a very quiet start for the Valkyries beyond the arc, Williams hit three 3-pointers in a one-minute span. She finished with 15 points in the third quarter.Despite trailing, Atlanta refused to give up: A few points from Canada and Allisha Gray pulled the Dream even with the Valkyries within the final minutes. But Williams wasn't done. The forward hit a massive 3 with two minutes left to send the Ballhalla crowd into the stratosphere.GABBY WILLIAMS FROM THE PARKING LOT 🅿️🤯Williams pulls up from 31 FEET and knocks down another monster triple and Golden State leads by three with 2:10 left in Game 7! 🎯#WNBAonUSA 🏆 | Dream 💭 | Valkyries ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/qv9WUZpVKD— USA Sports (@usasports) November 1, 2026 The Dream still kept it close up down to the wire, with Gray hitting a clutch 3-pointer with 36 seconds left to get back within four points. Even as the Valkyries danced away, Atlanta executed its defense perfectly, along with two more free throws from Gray, to make it a three-point game, but Veronica Burton's late shots from the line sealed the deal.Williams finished with 30 total points, leading both teams in scoring, but her defensive presence, especially in the fourth quarter, was just as crucial to the team's win. She earned Finals MVP for her efforts.It was an electric end to an electric seven-game series, which proved leads don't matter, defense wins games and a two-year-old franchise can take it all the way to the top.The Dream, who have been to the Finals four times without picking up a trophy, once again end a season with heartbreak. But the Valkyries achieved glory, a massive victory for a team full of underrated players who now get to celebrate in front of its home crowd."All it took was good people. That's it. All we heard last year: 'We don't have no stars, we don't have no talent,' yeah, right," Williams said on the broadcast after the win. "We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win the game. They don't care about scoring, they just want to play defense and rebound and do whatever it takes. We've just built a beautiful culture here."