4 minSports
Golden State Valkyries beat Atlanta Dream in Game 7 for first WNBA title
The Golden State Valkyries won Game 7 of the WNBA Finals 68-63 over the Atlanta Dream, clinching the franchise's first championship. Gabby Williams was named Finals MVP after scoring 30 points, while Angel Reese struggled with her shooting in the decisive game.
The Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA championship on Saturday night, beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Valkyries took the best-of-seven Finals 4-3. Gabby Williams led the decisive stretch, scoring 30 points, including 28 in the second half, and blocking four shots. She was named Finals MVP.
Williams turned the game in the third quarter. She scored Golden State's final 13 points of that period, including three three-pointers in a 56-second span, after Atlanta had led 37-28 at the midpoint of the quarter. Her turnaround jumper with 1:05 remaining gave the Valkyries a 45-44 lead heading into the fourth. In the final period she added 13 more points. Her 31-foot three-pointer with 2:18 left broke a 57-57 tie and put Golden State ahead for good.
Angel Reese, the Dream's star, had a difficult finish. She scored one point in the fourth quarter and did not attempt a field goal in that period. Her only point of the quarter came on a free throw with 18.6 seconds remaining. For the game she finished with eight points on 3-for-7 shooting, 12 rebounds and four turnovers. It was her fourth consecutive game with more turnovers than made field goals. Across those four games she shot 12-for-45 (26.7%) and committed 19 turnovers.
Reese's series had looked very different earlier. Atlanta held a 2-1 lead after she combined for 51 points and 28 rebounds in Games 2 and 3. Before Game 4 she said the Dream were getting into Golden State's head. « They're playing into my mental game where I can take their confidence and just try to do whatever to mess them up, » Reese said. The Valkyries then won the next two games. Atlanta forced Game 7 with an 80-69 win on Thursday, led by Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, who combined for 44 points. Reese finished the final four games with 38 points, 13 fewer than she scored in Games 2 and 3 combined. For the full series she averaged 14.7 points and 12.9 rebounds while shooting 40.5% from the field.
Jordin Canada carried much of Atlanta's offense in Game 7, finishing with 18 points, while Gray added 16. Kiah Stokes had eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, and Veronica Burton added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Tiffany Hayes scored 11. Howard finished with six points on 3-for-14 shooting, missing all seven of her three-point attempts. The Dream shot 33.3% overall and made 6-for-30 from beyond the arc.
The game was close throughout. Golden State opened with an 8-0 lead, and Atlanta went scoreless for the first 5:19 before Reese scored its first basket on an offensive rebound. Atlanta led 30-24 at halftime, when Reese had five points, seven rebounds and three turnovers. Gray's free throws tied the game at 55 with 3:15 left, and Howard tied it again at 57 before Williams's three gave Golden State the lead. Williams made two free throws with 1:40 remaining to push the lead to five. Stokes then rebounded two consecutive Williams misses, converting the second into a putback that made it 64-57 with 53.8 seconds left.
Atlanta cut the margin to 66-63 with 10.5 seconds left after Reese stole a Williams pass and Gray made two free throws. Burton's two free throws with 5.1 seconds remaining sealed the win. Reese had earlier said she measured greatness by whether a player could win and impact winning. « I think you become one of the greats … when you can win and impact winning, » she said after Game 3. Atlanta had been two wins from a championship, but the Dream could not finish the series.
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