In the middle of the Chase Center, the Golden State Valkyries gathered somewhere they’ve only been a few times. After all, this is only a second-year franchise.
But on Saturday night, they came together to collect their WNBA championship trophy. Kaila Charles kissed Tiffany Hayes as they jumped up and down. Kayla Thornton screamed towards the ceiling.
Teams aren’t supposed to do this so quickly, but the Valkyries did it.
Gabby Williams scored 30 points, most of them in a second half in which she led the Valkyries to a 68-63 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals.
This is the first championship in franchise history for the Valkyries, who began play just two seasons ago. They beat Dallas in the first round and swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces to reach the finals before prevailing in an intense seven-game brawl against Atlanta.
Best-of-seven series. Every hour, US Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Sat. October 17 Game 1: Golden State 68, Atlanta 64
Monday October 19 Game 2: Atlanta 79, Golden State 65
Wed. October 21 Game 3: Atlanta 97, Golden State 71
Sat. October 24 Game 4: Golden State 67, Atlanta 62
Monday October 26 Game 5: Golden State 64, Atlanta 55
Thu Oct 29 Game 6: Atlanta 80, Golden State 69
Sat. October 31 Game 7: Golden State 68, Atlanta 63
How to watch
In the United States, the series will air on NBC, USA Network and CNBC, with all games broadcast on Peacock. In the UK it will be broadcast by Sky Sports. In Australia, fans can watch via WNBA League Pass, with select coverage also available via ESPN.
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Quick guide2026 WNBA Finals
To show
Calendar
Best-of-seven series. Every hour, US Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Sat. October 17 Game 1: Golden State 68, Atlanta 64
Monday October 19 Game 2: Atlanta 79, Golden State 65
Wed. October 21 Game 3: Atlanta 97, Golden State 71
Sat. October 24 Game 4: Golden State 67, Atlanta 62
Monday October 26 Game 5: Golden State 64, Atlanta 55
Thu Oct 29 Game 6: Atlanta 80, Golden State 69
Sat. October 31 Game 7: Golden State 68, Atlanta 63
How to watch
In the United States, the series will air on NBC, USA Network and CNBC, with all games broadcast on Peacock. In the UK it will be broadcast by Sky Sports. In Australia, fans can watch via WNBA League Pass, with select coverage also available via ESPN.
It was also the first-ever Game 7 in WNBA history. The league expanded the Finals to a best-of-seven format last year, but Las Vegas swept Phoenix in four games.
The Valkyries led 14-12 after the first quarter Saturday, thanks in large part to an 8-0 run to open the game. Golden State recorded five blocks before the Dream made its first basket, but Atlanta responded with a 7-0 run to briefly take the lead.
The second quarter, however, was a reversal of the first. Golden State didn’t score until three minutes into the period, while the Dream went on a 9-0 run. The Valkyries had missed their first 10 three-point attempts before Thornton finally connected from beyond the arc in the second.
After Golden State struggled from long range throughout the game, Williams made three straight 3-pointers in the third quarter to cut Atlanta’s lead to two. The Valkyries led 45-44 early in the fourth, thanks in large part to Williams’ 15 points in the period.
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Allisha Gray hit a mid-range jumper to tie the score at 53 with 4 minutes, 52 seconds left, but the Valkyries regained the lead a minute and a half later on a Williams free throw.
From there, the teams traded blows in a finish that reflected the back-and-forth nature of the series.
Williams gave Golden State a 60-57 lead with 2 minutes 14 seconds left on a contested three-pointer with two seconds left on the shot clock, and the Dream never recovered.
Golden State won Games 1, 4 and 5 before clinching the series in Game 7 on its home court. The Valkyries entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and enjoyed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Hayes scored 11 points en route to her first WNBA title at the age of 37, while point guard Veronica Burton added 10 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. For Atlanta, Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Gray added 16 and Angel Reese was held to eight points and 12 rebounds.
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