Overview
- The Golden State Valkyries clinched the WNBA championship Saturday night, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in the league’s first-ever Finals Game 7.
- Gabby Williams was named Finals MVP after scoring 30 points with a record 28 coming in the second half to spark a late comeback and supply the decisive plays.
- The title is the Valkyries’ first and came in the franchise’s second season as an expansion team, a run faster than any major North American pro team to a championship.
- The series was defense-driven and low-scoring, with Kiah Stokes anchoring Golden State’s interior defense and Atlanta’s Angel Reese and Allisha Gray providing key scoring and rebounding in losses.
- League and media attention has turned to scheduling and broadcast issues after a midday Game 6 in Atlanta and strong national competition for viewers, with Sports Media Watch reporting about 1.4 million viewers for Game 5.