Valkyries beat Atlanta 68-63 in Game 7 to win the WNBA title in their second season

SAN FRANCISCO - The Golden State Valkyries won the WNBA championship on Saturday, Oct. 31, beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the Finals at Chase Center, according to the official box score.  It was the first Game 7 in the history of the WNBA Finals, and the team won the title in just its second season, the team said.

Gabby Williams led all players with 30 points.  She scored 28 of them after halftime, the most points any player has scored in one half of a WNBA Finals game, according to the team.  She also had four blocked shots and two steals and was named Finals MVP, or most valuable player.

How the game was won

The Valkyries started with defense.  They blocked five shots in the first quarter, and Atlanta missed its first six shots, the longest scoreless start to a Finals game in league history, the team said.  Fans chanted "defense" as Golden State built an eight-point lead.

Atlanta answered with a 12-4 run.  Veronica Burton put the Valkyries back ahead with a drive just before the first quarter ended, but the Dream led 30-24 at halftime.  Williams had just two points at the break.

Then Williams took over.  She scored 15 points in the third quarter to pull Golden State close, according to the team.  The game was tied at 55 with less than three minutes left.  Williams hit a 3-pointer and two free throws during a 7-0 run that put the Valkyries ahead for good, and Burton made the final two free throws to seal the win.

Golden State outscored Atlanta 44-33 in the second half and made 15 of 16 free throws, the box score shows.  Tiffany Hayes scored 11 points.  Burton had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.  Kiah Stokes had eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.

Jordin Canada led Atlanta with 18 points, and Allisha Gray scored 16.  Angel Reese, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, had eight points and 12 rebounds.

A series that went the distance

Golden State won Game 1 at home, 68-64, but lost Game 2, 79-65.  In Atlanta, the Dream won Game 3 by 26 points, 97-71, to take a 2-1 series lead.  "It was very uncharacteristic of us," Hayes said afterward, the team reported.

The Valkyries won the next two games, 67-62 in Atlanta and 64-55 at home, holding Atlanta under 63 points both times.  Atlanta forced Game 7 with an 80-69 win on Oct. 29.  Golden State trailed by 25 points in that game before Williams scored 21 of her 26 points in the second half.

Stokes blocked 19 shots in the series, breaking the old Finals record of 12, the team said.  Williams averaged 19.6 points and 2.6 steals in the Finals.

Ballhalla, sold out again

The crowd of 18,064 filled Chase Center, which fans call Ballhalla.  It was the team's 53rd straight sellout, the team said.  Every regular-season and playoff game in team history has sold out.

The team said details on a championship parade would be announced Sunday morning, Nov. 1.

Source:  WNBA official box score, Atlanta at Golden State, Game 7; Golden State Valkyries Game 7 recap; Golden State Valkyries championship release; Valkyries recaps of Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, Game 4, Game 5 and Game 6.