Ballhalla rules the world: Valkyries win WNBA Finals!

SAN FRANCISCO — Ballhalla are at the top of the mountain of the WNBA.

Gabby Williams scored 28 of her 30 points in the second half, the most points scored in a half in WNBA playoff history, to lift the Golden State Valkyries past the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on Halloween night at Chase Center to become the quickest expansion team in North America to win a championship as they were crowned the 2026 WNBA Champions.

In just its second year of existence, Golden State ascended to the top of the league with a cast of players that were considered castoffs from other teams. But head coach Natalie Nakase made her team believe with her love and passion for every single one of her players. The Valks executed when it mattered the most thanks to Williams who took home MVP honors after the hard fought seven-game series.

Williams averaged 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 steals and set the WNBA record for most points (137) and most steals (18) in a Finals series. She became the only player in WNBA history to record 30+ points, 4+ blocks and 2+ steals in a Finals game and joins A’ja Wilson as the only players to do so in all in WNBA playoff history.

"All we heard last year, 'We don't have no stars, we don't have no talent', said Williams after the game. "Yeah, right. We've got good people. We've got winners. We have people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game. We just build a beautiful culture here."

Nakase, who used quite a few F-bombs after the game on the court and during the postgame press conference, had all the confidence in the world in what she described Williams as her closer.

"Gabby is our closer," Nakase said. "Closing with 30, I mean, that's fucking incredible. And to me, the MVP is the Finals MVP. That means you've got to play through the playoffs. You've got to grind. You've got to go through a seven-game series. She's the most valuable player in the world, hands down."

Valkyries owner Joe Lacob, who promised a championship within the first five years, held his own press conference just outside The Bridge Club. Lacob believes Williams is the best player in the world and not just in the league. He reiterated that when asked about his star forward.

"Best player in the world," Lacob said deadpanned. "And I mean it. What you don't understand, what did she have 30 points today? How many in the second half? (Reporter mentioned the 28 points) in the second half?? It's unbelievable. But beyond that. How many steals did she have? Anybody know? A bunch of steals and great defensive play. She is a two-way player of extraordinaire. That's why I think she is the best player in the world...She just proved it on the highest stage. She deserves so much credit."

After a dreadful Game 6 performance where Golden State lost its defensive identity and allowed Atlanta to shoot at will from beyond the arc freely, the Valkyries jumped out to an 8-0 lead to begin the game. The Dream then went on an 11-2 run in a game that went back and forth until the end. Atlanta started the second quarter on a 9-0 run to go up 21-16 and went into the locker room at halftime with a 30-24 lead.

Then the magic of Williams took over in the third quarter. With her team down by five points 37-32 with 5:09 remaining, Williams scored the next 15 points (including the first two in the fourth quarter) in a row, nailing three 3-pointers in the process as Golden State finished the quarter on a 17-7 run to erase a nine-point deficit, its largest of the game, into a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter with momentum and the roar of the sold-out crowd behind them.

"Gabby (Williams) started to get going a little bit, and I think that made everybody on the Valkyries start to get their confidence and start making the hustle plays," Dream point guard Jordin Canada said. "I think that was the sift in the energy, was Gabby getting going from the 3-point line." Canada led the Dream in points with 18 points.

In the fourth quarter, Williams broke a 57-57 deadlock with a three-pointer with 2:18 in the fourth quarter that began 7-0 run where she scored five of the seven as Golden State had a 64-57 lead with 53.8 second left after two Kiah Stokes free throws. Atlanta didn't go down quietly as Allisha Gray scored five points and made it a three-point margin with 10.4 seconds left.

Valks points guard Veronica Burton was fouled on the ensuing inbound and iced the game and the first ever championship for Golden State with two made free throws with 5.1 second remaining in the game.

It was a wild celebration after that as the team stormed the court at center court as the crowd sung in unison to Queen's "We Are the Champions" while confetti rained down from the heavens after the league's first ever Finals to go the distance.

It was another quiet performance from Atlanta's star center Angel Resse as she was held to just eight points on 3 of 7 shooting from the field to go along with 12 rebounds. Reese committed four turnovers and missed a critical free throw late in the game that could've cut her team's deficit to four points. Gray chipped in with 16 points as Dream head coach Karl Smesko employed just a seven player rotation during the game.

Williams credits how tight the group was after they bonded together on one of their long road trips earlier in the season where none of the players wanted to come back home due to having so much fun with each other.

"We just kept our circle so tight to shut out the outside noise, shut out whatever the talk about we don't have this or whatever, and we just focused on the good stuff, focused on the positive. That was a beautiful thing to come into every day and feel that" Williams said.

Stokes, who joined Williams and Nakase at the podium after the game with the three each enjoying an adult beverage, said she was happy Williams showed off her ability to take over a game and proved that she is one of the best players in the game today.

"I'm just glad that tonight she showed who she really can be because she's been our leader, she's been our offense, the head of it all season," said Stokes, who won a national championship at UConn with Williams in 2015. "And for her to just come out tonight, Game 7, do or die, everything on the line, and she showed up and showed out."