Golden State Valkyries win first WNBA title in second season under coach Natalie Nakase

The Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA championship in the franchise’s second season under coach Natalie Nakase. Golden State beat the Atlanta Dream 68–63 in Game 7 on Oct. 31.

Finals MVP Gabby Williams scored just two points in the first half, then put up 28 after halftime to finish with 30. With Atlanta within three points and 10.5 seconds remaining, she made two free throws to secure the win.

Williams told reporters Nakase had urged her to stay patient at halftime. “I trust her with my life. I stayed patient. I trusted her,” she said, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole.

The win also reflected a team approach. Sports Illustrated described Golden State’s demanding, collective style, while Seerat Sohi of The Ringer wrote that the Valkyries prided themselves on defense and collective sacrifice. Nakase told The Ringer, “We battle. We got battle tested with that seven-game series.” Sohi reported that Golden State became the first team in WNBA history to win a title without an All-WNBA player.