The Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA championship on Saturday, October 31, 2026, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals. Forward Gabby Williams scored 30 points and was named the Finals Most Valuable Player as the Valkyries secured the title in their second year of competition.
The victory at Chase Center followed a season in which Golden State became the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025. Entering the final game, the Dream had led 30-24 at halftime, marking the first time in the seven-game series that a team trailing at the break went on to win the game.
Williams scored 30 points, including Golden State's final 11 points of the third quarter, joining Penny Taylor as the only players in WNBA history to score 30 or more points in a winner-take-all Finals game. Kiah Stokes recorded 13 rebounds and two blocks, while Tiffany Hayes, a 10-season veteran of the Dream who came out of retirement two years ago, added 11 points for the Valkyries. For Atlanta, Jordin Canada led with 18 points, Allisha Gray scored 16, and Angel Reese recorded eight points and 12 rebounds.
For the city of San Francisco and Chase Center fans, who the team reported have sold out every home game since the franchise's inception, the win brings a professional women's basketball championship to a venue that previously hosted the NBA's Golden State Warriors title run in 2022. The Dream's loss marks the fourth time the franchise has reached the WNBA Finals without securing a championship, affecting the organization's pursuit of its first title since joining the league.
The outcome also impacts the individual careers and earnings potential of the players involved. As the newly named MVP, Williams solidifies her standing in the league following a successful international career. The next steps for the WNBA involve the off-season period and preparations for the 2027 season. Specific dates for the upcoming draft and the start of the next season were not reported in the provided sources.