Golden State Valkyries Secure First WNBA Championship in Thrilling Game 7 Victory Over Atlanta Dream

San Francisco witnessed a historic moment as the Golden State Valkyries claimed their first WNBA championship, overcoming the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a hard-fought Game 7 on Saturday night at Chase Center. The best-of-seven WNBA Finals concluded 4-3 in favor of Golden State, marking a significant milestone for the franchise.

Atlanta's star, Angel Reese, found herself largely neutralized in the decisive fourth quarter, scoring just one point from a free throw and not attempting a single field goal. Her limited offensive impact proved costly as the Dream sought a championship title.

Reese concluded Game 7 with eight points on 3-for-7 shooting, alongside 12 rebounds and four turnovers. This performance continued a challenging trend for her, marking her fourth consecutive game with more turnovers than successful field goal attempts. Over these four pivotal contests, her shooting efficiency dipped significantly, connecting on just 12 of 45 shots (26.7%) and committing a total of 19 turnovers.

In stark contrast, Golden State guard Gabby Williams delivered the kind of star-level performance Atlanta desperately needed from its own talent. Williams was deservingly named Finals MVP, powering her team with an impressive 30 points, 28 of which came in the second half. She also contributed four crucial blocks in the championship clincher. Her pivotal 31-foot three-pointer with just 2:18 remaining in the game broke a 57-57 tie, giving Golden State a lead they would not relinquish. Reese's only contribution in the final period came from a free throw with 18.6 seconds left on the clock.

Throughout the entire series, a consistent pre-game ritual saw both teams opting to leave the court during the national anthem. This practice continued through all seven games, with neither squad present on the floor for the performances.

The trajectory of Reese's Finals run had appeared much brighter when the Atlanta Dream initially held a 2-1 series advantage. During Games 2 and 3, she was a dominant force, accumulating a combined 51 points and 28 rebounds. Following these strong outings, Reese shared her belief that she was gaining a psychological edge over Golden State.

They’re playing into my mental game where I can take their confidence and just try to do whatever to mess them up,

Reese stated before Game 4.

However, the Valkyries responded by winning the subsequent two games. Atlanta managed to push the series to a decisive Game 7 with an 80-69 victory on Thursday, largely fueled by the combined 44 points from Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. Despite the team's Game 6 win, Reese continued to struggle with her shot, making only five of 18 attempts in that contest. Her scoring output in the final four games totaled 38 points, noticeably fewer than the 51 she had amassed in Games 2 and 3 alone.

Key Moments in Game 7

Saturday's Game 7 presented an opportunity for the Dream to reverse their fortunes and close out the series. Instead, Jordin Canada shouldered much of Atlanta’s offensive load for the majority of the night, while Reese never established herself as a consistent scoring threat in the critical late stages.

The Valkyries initiated Game 7 with an 8-0 run, as the Dream went scoreless for the first 5 minutes and 19 seconds. Reese eventually broke Atlanta's scoring drought with a putback basket following an offensive rebound. Atlanta managed to narrow the deficit, trailing just 14-12 after the first quarter, and Reese's early second-quarter three-pointer briefly gave the Dream their first lead of the contest.

Canada was instrumental in the second quarter, contributing 11 points to reach 13 by halftime. Golden State experienced a significant scoring lull, going over eight minutes without a field goal to start the period, which allowed Atlanta to build a 30-24 lead heading into the break. At halftime, Reese had recorded five points, seven rebounds, and three turnovers, while Williams had only managed two points.

Williams Takes Over in Second Half

The Dream extended their lead to 37-28 midway through the third quarter, but this was when Gabby Williams began to dominate. She remarkably scored Golden State's final 13 points of the period, including a flurry of three three-pointers within a 56-second window. Reese attempted to counter one of these threes with a hook shot through contact, but she missed the subsequent free throw—marking her final basket of the evening.

Williams' turnaround jumper with just over a minute remaining (1:05) gave the Valkyries a narrow 45-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Her offensive explosion continued, as she tallied 15 points in the third quarter and added another 13 in the decisive final period.

In the fourth quarter, Allisha Gray’s two free throws brought the game to a 55-55 tie with 3 minutes and 15 seconds left. Williams immediately responded with a driving layup. Rhyne Howard then tied the score once more at 57 before Williams sank her clutch 31-foot three-pointer, providing the Valkyries with a lead they would not surrender.

After Gray missed an uncontested layup, Williams converted two free throws, extending Golden State's advantage to five points with 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining. Kiah Stokes then made crucial contributions on the offensive glass, securing rebounds on two consecutive Williams misses and converting the second into a putback, stretching the lead to 64-57 with 53.8 seconds left.

Gray hit a three-pointer to cut Atlanta's deficit to four, but Tiffany Hayes answered swiftly with two free throws. Reese secured another offensive rebound and drew a foul with 18.6 seconds remaining. She missed the first free throw but made the second, leaving Atlanta trailing by five. She then managed to steal a pass from Williams, leading to two free throws by Gray that brought the Dream within three points, 66-63, with 10.5 seconds left. However, Veronica Burton sealed the victory for Golden State with two free throws with 5.1 seconds on the clock.

Stokes concluded the game with eight points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. Burton added 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Hayes contributed 11 points. For Atlanta, Canada led the scoring with 18 points, and Gray added 16. Howard finished with six points on 3-for-14 shooting, missing all seven of her three-point attempts. The Dream collectively shot 33.3% from the field and struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 6 of 30 three-point attempts.

Reese concluded the series averaging 14.7 points and 12.9 rebounds, shooting 40.5% from the field. Following Game 3, she had articulated her perspective on achieving greatness, stating,

I think you become one of the greats … when you can win and impact winning.

While she played a significant role in bringing Atlanta within two victories of a championship, her performance across the final four games ultimately wasn't enough for the Dream to secure the title.