Joe Lacob vowed that his new franchise would lift a trophy inside its first five seasons. It needed only two. The Golden State Valkyries edged Atlanta 68-63 at Chase Center on Halloween night, winning the series 4-3 in the first Game 7 the WNBA Finals have ever produced.
At half-time the omens pointed the other way. Atlanta led 30-24, and in each of the six previous games the team ahead at the break had gone on to win. Gabby Williams changed the script. She scored every one of her side’s final 11 points before the third-quarter buzzer, kept going in the fourth and finished with 30 points and four blocks, earning Finals MVP honours. Coach Natalie Nakase had urged her during the break to be patient and let the chances arrive.
The ending was tense. With under three minutes left, Rhyne Howard drew Atlanta level at 57-57, and Williams immediately answered from beyond the arc. Allisha Gray made a pair from the line to cut the gap, then a held ball led to a jump ball; Veronica Burton, released by the Wings in 2024, came away with it and made both of her own foul shots with 5.1 seconds remaining. Kiah Stokes added 13 rebounds and collected a fourth championship ring.
On the losing side, the most productive scorer was guard Jordin Canada on 18, while Gray finished with a further 16. Angel Reese grabbed 12 rebounds but scored only eight, and the Dream fell short in a Finals for the fourth time in franchise history.
A lineup change helped turn the series. Trailing 2-1, Nakase moved Kaila Charles and 37-year-old Tiffany Hayes into the starting five; Hayes, who spent a decade in Atlanta and later ended her retirement, chipped in 11 points in the decider. Already in 2025 Golden State had made history as the first expansion club to qualify for the postseason in its opening year.
