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The Golden State Valkyries are WNBA champions. In just their second season, the expansion franchise beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history on October 31, 2026, behind a record second-half performance from Finals MVP Gabby Williams.
Williams takes over after halftime
Williams scored 30 points in the game, with 28 of them coming after halftime — a record for points in a half of a WNBA Finals game, and the most in any half of a postseason game in league history, according to reports of the game. She had managed only two points in the first half, then scored her team’s final 11 points of the third quarter and kept going in the fourth.
Her run included 15 consecutive points spanning the third and fourth quarters, the first time a player has done that in a WNBA Finals game. With 2 minutes and 18 seconds left, she buried a long three-pointer to give Golden State the lead for good at 60-57, then won a key jump ball as the Valkyries closed the game out. She played 38 of the game’s 40 minutes.
A game of runs at Ballhalla
The winner-take-all decider at Chase Center in San Francisco, nicknamed Ballhalla by Valkyries fans, drew a sellout crowd of 18,064. Atlanta led 30-24 at halftime, and the team leading at the break had won every game of the series so far. The Dream tied the game at 57 on a Rhyne Howard layup with 2 minutes and 41 seconds left, only for Williams to answer with her go-ahead three-pointer.
Kiah Stokes then tipped in a Williams miss with 53 seconds left to stretch the lead to 64-57, and free throws from Tiffany Hayes and Veronica Burton sealed the 68-63 win. Stokes finished with 13 rebounds and two blocks. For Atlanta, Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Allisha Gray added 16, and Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds. It was the Dream’s fourth defeat in a WNBA Finals in the franchise’s 18-year history.
An expansion team like no other
The Valkyries joined the WNBA as an expansion franchise in 2025 and finished the regular season with the league’s second-best record. They are the fastest expansion team among the major North American sports leagues to win a championship, doing it in only their second year, and the first team in the league’s 30-year history to win a title without a single All-WNBA selection on the roster that season.
Coach Natalie Nakase pieced the roster together from players left unprotected in the expansion draft, international signings and one key free-agent addition. Owner Joe Lacob had guaranteed a championship within the franchise’s first five years when the Bay Area was granted the team. The Valkyries have sold out every game in franchise history.
What the title means
Williams was named Finals MVP after setting records for the most points (137) and most steals (18) in a WNBA Finals series. Her 30 points in Game 7 were her second-highest total in a playoff game, behind only the 36 she scored in Game 2 of the first-round win over Dallas on September 30.
The series itself was the longest title matchup in league history, going the full seven games in only the second season the Finals have used a best-of-seven format. For a franchise built from castoffs and overlooked players, the championship is a landmark: proof, as Williams told the home crowd afterwards, for everyone who has ever been underrated.
Questions People Ask
Who won the 2026 WNBA championship?
The Golden State Valkyries won the 2026 WNBA championship, beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the Finals on October 31, 2026.
Who was the WNBA Finals MVP?
Gabby Williams was named Finals MVP after scoring 30 points in Game 7, including a record 28 points in the second half.
Was this the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history?
Yes. The 2026 Finals between Golden State and Atlanta was the first WNBA championship series ever decided by a Game 7.
How fast did the Valkyries win a title?
The Valkyries won the championship in just their second season after joining the WNBA as an expansion team in 2025, the fastest title win by an expansion team among the major North American sports leagues.
