Williams Drops 30 to Guide Valkyries to First WNBA Title

The Golden State Valkyries captured the WNBA championship on Saturday night by defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the Finals. The victory marks the first title in the franchise's two-year existence. The game ended in front of a home crowd at Chase Center in San Francisco.

Gabby Williams scored 28 of her 30 points in the second half to secure the win. She led the team in scoring and made 10 of 23 field goal attempts. Kiah Stokes provided the final offensive push by converting a putback with 53 seconds remaining. Veronica Burton finished the game with a foul shot in the final seconds.

The match began as a defensive contest. Neither team shot well from beyond the arc. The Valkyries made five of 20 three-point attempts. The Dream made six of 30. Atlanta's overall field goal percentage was 33.3 percent from 69 attempts. The game remained close throughout the final quarter.

Golden State trailed by nine points in the third quarter. Williams led a rally that cut the deficit. She scored the final 13 points of that period to give the hosts a 45-44 lead entering the fourth quarter. Allisha Gray of the Dream tied the score at 53 with a short jumper with 5 minutes and 14 seconds left.

Williams took control in the closing minutes. She hit a 31-foot shot with 2 minutes and 18 seconds remaining to put Golden State ahead for good at 60-57. She also made free throws and drove to the hoop to keep the lead alive. The team protected a 64-57 advantage after Stokes' tip-in.

Veronica Burton recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. She was fouled with 5.1 seconds left and made the final free throw. Kiah Stokes finished with a game-high 13 rebounds and 8 points. Cecilia Zandalasini also contributed to the scoring surge in the third quarter.

For Atlanta, Jordin Canada led all scorers with 18 points. Allisha Gray added 16 points. Angel Reese finished with 8 points and 12 rebounds. The Dream has played in the WNBA for 19 seasons without a championship. They also fell in the finals in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

The Valkyries started the game with an 8-0 lead but fell behind 37-28 in the sixth minute of the third quarter. They recovered to win the final 10 minutes. Barry Bonds and Draymond Green were among the spectators in the arena. The team's previous playoff success included a first-round win over the Dallas Wings on Sept. 30.

The final score stood at 68-63. The Dream had eight shots blocked during the game. Williams was credited with four of those blocks. The victory ends the Dream's title drought in a final season. The Valkyries' season concluded with a win in their home building.