Williams scored 30 points in Game 7 as Golden State beat Atlanta 68 to 63 and became champions in only its second season.
Tamrah News Desk | November 1, 2026
Gabby Williams WNBA Finals MVP honors were confirmed on Saturday night, October 31, 2026, after her 30 points helped the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68 to 63 in Game 7 at Chase Center in San Francisco. ESPN reported that the result gave the franchise its first championship and ended the series at four wins to three.
How the Valkyries Won WNBA Finals Game 7
ESPN described it as the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, played before about 18,000 fans. ClutchPoints reported that Atlanta led 30 to 24 at halftime, and Yahoo Sports said Williams had only two points on one of four shooting at that stage.
She changed the game after the break. ESPN reported that Williams outscored the Dream 15 to 14 in the third quarter and scored 15 straight points across the third and fourth periods. Bleacher Report said she hit a deep three with the score tied at 57 and just over two minutes left to put Golden State ahead. The SF Standard reported that Williams won a jump ball with 8.3 seconds left, and guard Veronica Burton then made the final two free throws.
Gabby Williams WNBA Finals MVP Series Numbers
SFBayCA reported that Williams averaged 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 steals across the seven games. Yahoo Sports said her 137 points and 18 steals are both Finals records, while noting that the best of seven format is only in its second season.
Those Gabby Williams stats include a Game 7 line of 30 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. EssentiallySports, in a story carried by Yahoo, said she made 10 of 23 shots with four threes and four blocks. SFBayCA described the four blocks as a career high in any game. Yahoo Sports reported that her 28 second half points are a WNBA postseason record.
Why Was Gabby Williams Chosen as Finals MVP?
Williams led Golden State in scoring through the series even though her shooting was uneven. CBS Sports reported before Game 5 that she was shooting 30.3 percent but was the only Valkyries player to score in double figures in every game to that point. She also dealt with a knee problem after Atlanta guard Jordin Canada collided with her late in Game 1.
That opener showed her value early. AP reported that Williams scored 26 points in a 68 to 64 win and made four free throws in the final minutes.
“We always knew we were going to find a way somehow,”
she said on the court afterward. Coach Natalie Nakase gave her own view of Game 7, telling SFBayCA,
“Gabby is our closer.”
Golden State Valkyries Championship Milestones
The Valkyries entered the playoffs as the second seed. According to the Boston Globe’s AP report, they swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, finishing with an 87 to 77 overtime win in Game 3, where Williams scored eight of her 16 points in the extra period. SI reported that Williams also scored 36 points in the one first round game the Valkyries lost to the Dallas Wings.
ESPN, citing Elias, said Golden State is the third team across the NBA, BAA and WNBA to win a title within its first two seasons. ESPN also said it is the first WNBA champion without an all WNBA selection that season. SI, citing Sportico, reported that the Valkyries became the first WNBA team to pass $100 million in annual revenue this year.
What It Means for the Dream and Angel Reese
Atlanta fell short again. ClutchPoints reported that the Dream have now reached the Finals four times without a title. Fox News said Angel Reese scored eight points in Game 7, including one in the fourth quarter, and shot 12 of 45 over the last four games of the series. AFP reporting carried by Kuwait Times noted that Williams had finished behind Reese in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
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This report on the Gabby Williams WNBA Finals MVP story will be updated as more verified information becomes available.
Conclusion
The Gabby Williams WNBA Finals MVP award capped a season in which a second year team reached the top of the league. The Golden State Valkyries championship came through a WNBA Finals Game 7 that Williams controlled after a quiet first half. Her Gabby Williams stats, the Valkyries first WNBA title and the Valkyries vs Dream series will shape how the 2026 WNBA Finals MVP race is remembered.
