Valkyries Claim First WNBA Title

The Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA championship on Saturday with a 68-63 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 of the Finals. The win concluded a 2026 season that set new records for viewership and attendance across the league. This marks the first title for the Valkyries in just their second year as a franchise.

Gabby Williams led the Golden State team with 30 points, four blocks, and three steals during her 38-minute performance. She also recorded 26 points in Game 1. Williams spoke to the team's resilience after the final buzzer. "All we heard last year: We don't have no stars, we don't have no talent," Williams said. "Yeah right. We got good people. We got winners."

Jordin Canada led the Atlanta Dream in scoring with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Star player Angel Reese finished with eight points on three-of-seven shooting in 33 minutes. This was the first time a team won a Game 7 in the league's history, as the WNBA transitioned to a seven-game Finals format starting last season. The Dream remain winless in four WNBA Finals appearances.

The league reported 3.8 million fans attended 330 regular-season games, a 21% increase over last year's record. Broadcasters ESPN, ABC, and CBS all posted their most-watched seasons. The Valkyries, owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, improved from a 23-21 record in their debut year to a 32-12 season this year. They defeated the Dallas Wings and Las Vegas Aces to reach the Finals.

The Atlanta Dream swept the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty on their path to the championship game. Reese posted 30 points and 16 rebounds in Game 2 and 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3 to help Atlanta take a series lead. However, Reese shot just 4-for-20 with 15 combined points in Games 4 and 5, allowing Golden State to take control of the series.

Controversy surrounded Game 6 due to scheduling conflicts at State Farm Arena. The game started at 12:30 p.m. because the Atlanta Hawks were scheduled to play that evening. The Dream's regular venue, Gateway Center Arena, has a capacity of only 3,500, while State Farm Arena holds about 17,000. Ownership, including Larry and Robyn Gottesdiener, Suzanne Abair, and Renee Montgomery, stated the team raised concerns about the schedule two months prior.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the league preferred the State Farm Arena location. "The sellout crowds and extraordinary atmosphere at State Farm Arena for Games 3 and 4 were a tremendous success," Engelbert said. The Dream sold out the arena for Game 6 despite the early start time, but they could not stop Golden State from securing the title in the final game.