In a near-single-handed performance, Gabby Williams helped the Golden State Valkyries defeat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in game seven of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals to give the West Coast franchise a championship in the second year of its existence. Williams scored 28 of her game-high 30 points in the second half to force a turnaround and bag the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in San Francisco, California, on Saturday. Kiah Stokes converted a Williams miss into a key hoop with 53 seconds left to the deafening cheers of “Ballhalla”, as the Valkyries’ home crowd is known at the Chase Center.
In what was mostly a defensive struggle, Williams made the difference in the end, including winning a jump ball over Allisha Gray with 8.3 seconds to go. With the likes of former San Francisco Giants superstar Barry Bonds and multiple NBA title-winner Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors rooting her on, Veronica Burton was fouled with 5.1 seconds remaining and produced the final points in the Valkyries’ storybook season. On a night when the WNBA had its first game seven in a championship final series, strength in numbers was credited with propelling the second-year franchise to historic heights.
From owner Joe Lacob to coach Natalie Nakase and MVP Williams, one number stood out: 18,064. Williams overcame a two-point first half to become the first player in WNBA postseason history to score 28 points in a half. The Valkyries’ only All-Star, who was added as a free agent in the offseason, joined Lacob in thanking a crowd that has sold out every game in franchise history, setting league attendance records.
It’s a long season and y’all gave me energy. That’s what I came here for.” Playing 38 of the game’s 40 minutes, Williams saved enough energy to do a Stephen Curry impersonation on a go-ahead three-pointer with two minutes and 18 seconds (2:18) to go and later win a key jump ball, and Kiah Stokes converted a rare Williams late miss into a key hoop with 53 seconds left, sending the violet-clad crowd into a frenzy. In the end, Nakase recognised the enormity of piecing together a bunch of players left unprotected in the expansion draft, a handful of international imports and one key free-agent signing into the league’s second-best regular-season record and a victory in the first-ever game seven in WNBA history.
This is for all y’all,” she insisted from midcourt to her home fans and a national television audience as well. Williams, after spearheading an earlier rally, came alive again. She hit two free throws with 3:34 to go and a driving hoop 32 seconds later as the teams exchanged baskets.
She then buried arguably the most important shot in Valkyries’ history — a 31-footer to give Golden State the lead for good at 60-57 with 2:18 to go. She added two free throws, and when Stokes tipped in her teammate’s miss in the final minute, Chase Center erupted as Golden State had a 64-57 advantage that it was able to protect through the end. She made 10 of her 23 field-goal attempts on Saturday when neither team shot well.
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