The Golden State Valkyries captured their first WNBA championship with a 68-63 victory over their opponents in the league's inaugural Game 7 at Chase Center in San Francisco. Finals MVP Gabby Williams delivered one of the greatest performances in WNBA history, scoring 30 points — 28 of them in the second half — along with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks.
Williams' 28 points after halftime set a WNBA playoff record for a single half, and her 30-point total tied the record for a winner-take-all Finals game. Teammate Kiah Stokes praised her leadership, saying she was glad to call Williams a teammate and that the team could not have won without her. Owner Joe Lacob, who predicted a title within five years when the franchise launched, saw the Valkyries achieve it in two, becoming the fastest expansion team to win a championship in North American sports history.
Williams, a former No. 4 overall pick by the Chicago Sky in 2018, had a winding path to this moment. After limited starts and a suspension in Chicago over French national team commitments, she developed into an All-Star with the Seattle Storm before signing with the Valkyries in free agency. This season she led the team in scoring with a career-high 14.4 points per game, earned her second All-Star selection, made the All-Defensive First Team and finished runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.
In the playoffs, Williams averaged 21 points per game — third among players who advanced past the first round behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart — and set Finals records for total points (137) and steals (18). In Game 7, with the Valkyries trailing by six in the third quarter, she took over: hitting a step-back three over DeWanna Bonner, another over Angel Reese, a corner three and a baseline turnaround to erase the deficit. Late in the fourth quarter she scored nine straight points, including a 31-foot go-ahead three with just over two minutes remaining.
Asked about the second-half surge, Williams credited coach Nat's advice to stay patient. "I trust her with my life. I stayed patient. Just trusted her. She said, 'Stay patient, stay patient, the game's gonna open up for you.' It did," Williams said. She reflected on her journey, emphasizing the importance of love and support from those around her. The Valkyries will celebrate with a parade down the Embarcadero on Wednesday, capping a historic season for the franchise and its new star.
