Golden State Valkyries Win First WNBA Championship in Historic Second Season
In a historic achievement, the Golden State Valkyries secured their first-ever WNBA championship on Saturday, overcoming the Atlanta Dream with a 68-63 victory in Game 7. By clinching the title in only their second year of existence, the Valkyries became the fastest expansion franchise to win a championship among the major North American sports leagues, including the NBA, NHL, MLB, and NFL. This feat surpassed the previous record set by the Milwaukee Bucks, who claimed an NBA title during the 1970-71 season in their third year. Finishing with a 23-21 record and becoming the first expansion franchise to make the playoffs in league history in their first year, golden State were awarded the franchise in 2023 and the team made its debut in 2025.
Entering the winner-take-all Game 7, history appeared to favor the Valkyries, as the home team had secured victories in 11 of the previous 13 Finals series deciders. Early on, it seemed Golden State would comfortably extend that trend, as they surged to an 8-0 lead while the Dream struggled, missing their first ten field goal attempts and committing two turnovers. However, the momentum shifted when Atlanta’s stars, Angel Reese and Allisha Gray, found their rhythm. A 9-0 run orchestrated by Jordin Canada propelled the Dream to their largest lead of the contest, leaving the Valkyries scoreless for much of the first quarter. The home team had won 11 of the last 13 winner-take-all games in the Finals and – at least in the early stages – it looked like Golden State would coast to becoming the 12th team to do so. The Dream’s cold start was a thing of the past while the Valkyries’ hot start was nonexistent, in a spooky turnaround for both teams. And Game 7’s first half was no different, the edition of the WNBA Finals featured some low-scoring affairs. The Game 7 jitters both teams had in the first half seemed to dissipate a bit as the second half got underway.
Offensive efficiency was difficult to find for both teams throughout the first half, as they struggled significantly from behind the 3-point line. Golden State missed its first 10 attempts from deep until Kayla Thornton finally broke the drought with three minutes remaining in the second quarter. By halftime, Atlanta held a 6-point advantage in a low-scoring affair that saw the Valkyries record only 24 total points—marking the ninth time in the series that a team failed to reach 30 points in a half. The 3-pointer ended a drought of more than seven minutes without a field goal for the Valkyries.
The defensive intensity remained high in the third quarter, with the Dream pushing their lead to nine points midway through the frame. The tide turned when Gabby Williams ignited a Golden State comeback, hitting three 3-pointers in the period to trim the deficit. A subsequent 17-3 run propelled the Valkyries ahead, with a jumper from Williams giving the home team the lead heading into the final quarter. As the atmosphere inside the Chase Center intensified, Williams continued her dominance, sealing the victory with a 31-foot shot to put her team up by three with just over two minutes left. And the long-range shots were starting to fall for both squads as the game entered the late third quarter, but the Valkyries were not rolling over as forward Cecilia Zandalasini cut the lead to five points. Knocking down three 3-pointers in the third quarter to cut the lead to one point, the former fourth overall pick caught fire. Tonight, we were down and I hit a shot, it felt like we were up 20. … It’s easy when the energy is just good.
Williams, who finished the game with 30 points, earned Finals MVP honors. Remarkably, 28 of her points were scored in the second half, establishing a new record for the most points in a single half of a WNBA Finals game. Reflecting on her performance after the win, Williams credited the team’s support system, stating, “I wasn’t going to lose on Halloween. Honestly, everyone here, not just the players but the staff, the community, the city, the Bay – y’all have been pouring into me all season.” It was so easy coming to work every single day and thats what I came for.”. What you guys did was unbelievable.”.
Second-year head coach Natalie Nakase praised the team’s resilience, attributing their success to a culture built on trust. “We had unconditional love that is unbreakable,” Nakase noted. “This is proof that if you put in all your heart, all your soul, you can win championships.” Owner Joe Lacob, who also owns the Golden State Warriors, expressed pride in the franchise’s rapid ascent, having promised three years ago that the team would secure a title within its first five seasons. Lacob then screamed “Ballhalla” as the crowd cheered loudly.
While the Valkyries celebrated their historic milestone, the Atlanta Dream remained searching for their first championship in their fourth Finals appearance. In the loss, Gray contributed 16 points, while Reese added eight points and 12 rebounds. Additionally, DeWanna Bonner made history of her own, becoming the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds.
