The Golden State Warriors won the WNBA Championship in only their second season of existence.
The Valkyrie defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history on Saturday to win their first championship in franchise history. Forward Gabby Williams scored 30 points.
Purple confetti rained down on the court and the crowd erupted in cheers as the Valkyrie celebrated their historic victory.
“I love moments like this,” Williams said after the final buzzer. “Nat told me to be patient in the first half. It was difficult, but I listened to her. She was right, as always, and she got us here,” she said, referring to head coach Natalie Nakase.
Williams was named Finals MVP for her outstanding performance, scoring the most points in the first half in WNBA playoff history. Although she only scored 2 points in the first half, she scored 15 points and 13 points in the third and fourth quarters respectively.
While accepting the award, she said: “I’m not going to lose on Halloween.”
Teammate Kea Stokes grabbed 13 rebounds.
The Golden State Warriors’ meteoric rise, coupled with the team’s rabid fan base, has made the Valkyrie one of the WNBA’s iconic franchises.
In the team’s first season, the Golden State Warriors achieved a record of 23 wins and 21 losses and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They are the only expansion team in league history to enter the playoffs in their first year.
The Valkyrie rebuilt its frontcourt ahead of the 2026 season, signing Williams after she made her first All-Star team and adding former Las Vegas Aces center Kea Stokes via free agency.
Williams emerged as the team’s leading scorer, while Stokes added rebounding power in the midfield. Calling the action is fifth-year guard Veronica Burton, who led the team in assists during the regular season.
The rebuilt roster allowed Nakase — a two-time Players Champion and reigning Coach of the Year — to push the right buttons in the Finals. After the Golden State Warriors won Game 1, Atlanta came back with a double-digit blowout victory to take a 2-1 lead.
Nakase shortened the rotation after Game 3 and also replaced several players in the starting lineup. As she relied more heavily on her big three of Williams, Stokes and Burton, the Valkyrie responded with two straight wins to regain the series advantage 3-2.
Atlanta avoided elimination in Game 6 on Thursday in Atlanta, which begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, due to scheduling difficulties ahead of Atlanta’s State Farm Stadium, which is much larger than the Dreams’ typical home stadium and seats less than 4,000.
Golden State’s run to the championship has coincided with a business boom for the team, which has the same major ownership group as the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
In May, CNBC valued the Golden State Warriors at $1 billion, making the Valkyries the first WNBA team to reach that threshold. Meanwhile, during the regular season, the Golden State Warriors led the WNBA in both average attendance and total attendance.
The Golden State Warriors play at Chase Center (dubbed “Ballhalla” by Valkyrie fans) and have sold out every home game in their two seasons of existence.
Now, with the WNBA championship trophy coming, the excitement surrounding the Valkyries is only growing as the team looks to play back-to-back games in 2027.