The Golden State Valkyries have captured the WNBA Championship in just their second season, edging the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a dramatic Game 7 at the end of the Finals on Saturday night.
For Angel Reese and her Atlanta teammates, the defeat brought a painful conclusion to a season surrounded by controversy. On the other side, Gabby Williams delivered the defining performance of the night for Golden State.
A raucous crowd filled San Francisco’s Chase Center for the winner-take-all showdown. NBA star Draymond Green watched from courtside, while former President Barack Obama followed the action from home.
On a memorable Halloween night, Williams scored the Valkyries’ final 11 points of the third quarter before taking over again in the fourth. She finished with 30 points, earning Finals MVP honors and powering Golden State to its first title.
Atlanta received 18 points from Jordin Canada and 16 from Allisha Gray, while Reese posted eight points and 12 rebounds. The loss denied the Dream a championship in the franchise’s fourth Finals appearance.
Gray trimmed the deficit with two free throws with 11 seconds remaining. Atlanta then forced a jump ball between Gray and Williams, but Veronica Burton secured possession and made two free throws with 5.1 seconds left to all but seal the result.
The Golden State Valkyries celebrate after winning the franchise’s first ever WNBA title
Golden State players react after a bucket late in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Dream
A wild seven-game series came to a thrilling end at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday
It was heartbreak for one of the league’s biggest names, Angel Reese, and her Atlanta Dream
The final buzzer sent the sellout crowd, dressed in violet, into celebration. Valkyries players rushed onto the court to embrace one another as confetti poured down from the Chase Center rafters.
Obama congratulated the champions in a post on X, writing: ‘Congrats to the new WNBA champs, the @Valkyries! Ballhalla was rocking all season, and this team was fun to watch. Enjoy the celebration.’
The postgame trophy ceremony was briefly overshadowed when WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was loudly booed by the crowd. The reaction provided a striking end to what is expected to be remembered as one of the most controversial seasons in league history.
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The Finals unfolded amid intense fan criticism after both teams chose not to take the court for the pregame national anthems, prompting some viewers to accuse the players of being unpatriotic. The series was also disrupted by scheduling problems, with Game 6 moved to a Thursday lunchtime slot to prevent it from being held in a much smaller venue.
More broadly, the WNBA season was dominated by several controversies, including a heated debate over transgender eligibility in women’s sports.
The issue intensified after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham told ESPN that she did not think biological males should be permitted to compete in women’s sports.
Her remarks triggered protests from opposing sides of the debate. Former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White also announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft.
Earlier in June, the league’s biggest star, Caitlin Clark, was involved in a heated confrontation with Phoenix Mercury standout Alyssa Thomas, who appeared to strike Clark in the throat during the incident.
The confrontation was followed by growing scrutiny of WNBA officiating. Clark was among the players who subsequently called for the league to employ full-time referees.
Draymond Green (center) was among the big-name NBA players watching on from courtside
The Golden State Valkyries were competing in only their second WNBA season ever
Cathy Engelbert was booed by the crowd in San Francisco when she presented the MVP trophy
In July, a race debate unfolded after Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello used the phrase ‘protected species’ when discussing Dream star Reese.
The comment was deemed to have racial connotations by many and the WNBA suspended the coach for one game.
On social media, players across the league were subjected to racist abuse and death threats, leading to some of the biggest names in the WNBA questioning whether the league was doing enough to protect them.
Commissioner Engelbert has taken plenty of criticism throughout it all, with many claiming she is not a strong enough leader moving forward.