It's no dream, Valkyries claim WNBA title with Game 7 victory

Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) jumps for a shot while Atlanta Dream forward DeWanna Bonner (24) blocks during the second half of the WNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Stephen Lam/S.F. Chronicle) Reality set in with the Ballhalla crowd with just under a minute to spare Saturday. Kiah Stokes, the veteran already with three titles under her belt, hit a put-back layup to extend the Golden State Valkyries' lead to seven points. A mountain of a lead in what had been a dogfight Game 7 against the Atlanta Dream.The Halloween night crowd erupted as the Valkyries' met near half court, holding each other in elation or, perhaps, to keep legs from collapsing under the blend of exhilaration and exhaustion. Just seconds later, confetti fell from the rafters. In just their second year of existence, the Valkyries won the WNBA title, beating Angel Reese and the Dream 68-63 on Saturday night in the league's first Game 7 ever played. They did it with defense, holding one of the league's best offenses to under 70 points.They did it without a star scorer the league expected, but one twho rose to the occasion for her hometown team. Gabby Williams, in a second-half blur, scored 30 points to carry the Valkyries to this title. The win fulfilled a promise Valkyries owner Joe Lacob made three years ago, the day of this team's inception: The Valkyries would win a title within five years. Lacob's proclamation sounded outlandish for its lofty expectations; new franchises need time to establish roots, form an identity and foster star players to even sniff the Finals stage. But this town knows Lacob tends to make good on promises; he had much more to prove when he bought the Golden State Warriors in 2010 and guaranteed a title for the downtrodden franchise within five years. Steph Curry and Steve Kerr helped make it all come true in 2015 while building one of the NBA's greatest dynasties in years to come. Head coach Natalie Nakase and general manager Ohemma Nyanin squeezed all those hard parts about building a successful franchise into two years. The identity? That's the Valkyries defense, a suffocating group so connected they stomped on most of the league's superstars that crossed their path in 2026. The defense squashed Dallas star Paige Bueckers in the first round, then MVP A'ja Wilson in the semifinals - it appeared the Valkyries would prove that no team needs a top scorer to win in this league. The collective could score just enough, or Gabby Williams would ascend and take over.But a seven-game Finals series against the Dream pushed Golden State's defensive ethos to its limit. In their three wins leading up to Game 7, the Valkyries suppressed an Atlanta offense that averaged 91.7 points per game in the regular season to less than 70 points. In their three losses, the defensive shell cracked and the offense couldn't consistently produce to recover.By Game 7, there were no mysteries left to solve between the teams. Each knew the other's tendencies and actions - the winner would come down to whose identity could shine brightest.Golden State looked ready to dominate when the game began. They landed the first punch, blocking five shots, including two by Williams, to hold Atlanta to 12 points in the frame. Veronica Burton appeared ready to take the scoring into her own hands when she hit two key floaters to end the low-scoring quarter.Atlanta had a retort: This offense wouldn't go down without a fight. A push from Jordin Canada - crafting layups and draining 3s - got the Dream into the lead. Meanwhile, the Valkyries couldn't punch back. They were 0-for-10 from 3 until Kayla Thornton drained a trey from beyond the arc with just under three minutes in the half. With just a half left and the season on the line, Williams flipped a switch - as she has in some of the postseasons' biggest games yet. She had two points in the first half, then transformed when the weight of the moment felt heaviest - Golden State down six to start the second half.Williams started the third quarter with a driving layup, and persisted after a handful of misses and blocked shots. She scored 13 points in the final four-plus minutes of the third quarter, including back-to-back 3s to get the sold out crowd on its feet and screeching. With her turnaround jumper, the Valkyries had a one-point lead heading into the final frame. Williams kept her foot on the pedal in the fourth quarter on both ends. She registered her fourth block of the game and, with Atlanta clawing back continuously, tying the game, Williams hit her fourth 3-pointer from the top of the arc having scored 26 of the Valkyries' 36 second-half points to that point. She had four blocks, a picture of how essential her defense was.It wasn't just Williams. Burton was key in the margins, scoring 11 points with 10 rebounds and five assists. Stokes had 13 rebounds and 11 points.SubscribeThere’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at It's no dream, Valkyries claim WNBA title with Game 7 victory.