Golden State Valkyries Beat Atlanta 68-63 to Win First WNBA Title

The Golden State Valkyries captured their first WNBA championship on Saturday night, Oct. 31, 2026, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 before a sellout crowd of 18,064 at Chase Center in San Francisco behind a 30-point performance from Finals MVP Gabby Williams, according to reports by Jane Kenny and Jennifer Wadsworth in The San Francisco Standard (fan coverage) and Andrew Fortin-Caldera at KTVU FOX 2.

In only their 2nd WNBA season — and their 103rd game since opening their first training camp at the Sephora Performance Center in Oakland in April 2025 — head coach Natalie Nakase, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, and team president Jess Smith delivered on owner Joe Lacob's championship vision ahead of his initial 5-year timeline. Earlier in October, the Valkyries notched their first playoff win at Chase Center by defeating the Dallas Wings 104-80, then rallied from a 2-1 Finals deficit against Atlanta to force Saturday's decisive Game 7.

Gabby Williams Scores 30 Points in Closing Clutch Sequence

With Game 7 deadlocked at 53-53 with under 4 minutes remaining, Williams — nicknamed "Big Shot Gabby" by 14th-year veteran teammate Tiffany Hayes — took over the contest:

• Trading the Lead: Williams drew a foul on Atlanta's Rhyne Howard and sank both free throws before Allisha Gray tied the game at the line. Williams then drove past Angel Reese for a 57-55 edge, answered 20 seconds later by a Howard layup.
• Decisive Run: Williams buried a deep 3-pointer to put Golden State ahead 60-57, added two more free throws after a Gray miss, and watched Kiah Stokes convert a tip-in with 53.8 seconds left for a 64-57 advantage.
• Final 34.2 Seconds: After Gray hit a corner 3-pointer with 34.2 seconds left and Naz Hillmon fouled Hayes (who made two free throws before Reese split a pair), Williams won a jump ball with 8.3 seconds on the clock, tipping the ball to point guard Veronica Burton, who sank the clinching two free throws for the 68-63 final.

Sellout Streaks and Bay Area Celebrations at "Ballhalla"

Known as "Ballhalla" — and dubbed "Boohalla" on Halloween night — Chase Center has sold out every home game in Valkyries history, while thousands more fans gathered outside at Thrive City and at watch parties across the Bay Area. In their inaugural 2025 campaign, the Valkyries set the WNBA single-season attendance record with nearly 400,000 fans, led the league in attendance across both seasons, and reached a $1 billion franchise valuation.

Congratulations poured in from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Supervisor Connie Chan, and the Giants, Warriors, and 49ers.