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10/31 21:51 CDT Gabby Williams leads Valkyries to WNBA championship in second season, beating Dream 68-63 in Game 7 Gabby Williams leads Valkyries to WNBA championship in second season, beating Dream 68-63 in Game 7 By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --- Gabby Williams scored her team's final 11 points of the third quarter and dazzled through the fourth on the way to 30 points, and the Golden State Valkyries captured a championship in just their second season by beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a sensational first WNBA Finals Game 7 on Saturday night. Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Allisha Gray 16 and Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds for the Dream, denied another championship in the franchise's fourth try. Gray made two free throws with 11 seconds left then Atlanta forced a jump ball --- Gray against Williams --- and Veronica Burton corralled it and converted two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go. "I'm just so blessed, this is insane!" said Burton, cut by Dallas two years ago. Rhyne Howard's layup tied it at 57 with 2:41 left only for Williams to answer once more with a clutch 3-pointer. She converted two free throws with 1:40 remaining, then Kiah Stokes scored a late basket. Stokes pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked two more shots to cap her spectacular postseason. Williams left Seattle with a great feeling about joining Golden State and its close-knit culture, returning to the Bay Area where she played youth basketball to build something special with the Valkyries --- and she's now done that. Fans chanted "Gabby! Gabby!" throughout the fourth quarter. "All it took was good people," she said. "All we heard last year was we don't have no stars. We don't have no talent. Yeah right! We got good people. We got good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game." When the final buzzer sounded, the violet-clad sellout crowd at Chase Center went into a frenzy as players sprinted onto the floor to hug and celebrate as confetti fell from the rafters. "Ballhalla" had become "Boohalla" for this far-but-haunted Halloween night in the raucous arena. Now, with a women's championship to its name right alongside the one earned by the Golden State Warriors in 2022. "We gotta build a bigger trophy case," co-owner Peter Guber said. The team that led at halftime in the first six matchups had won every game so far, and the Dream were ahead 30-24 at the break. Atlanta also had been 16-0 this season when Reese made at least one 3. The Dream's DeWanna Bonner became the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase changed her starting lineup in a move that paid huge dividends after Golden State fell behind 2-1, inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes and bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini off the bench. The 37-year-old Hayes, who came out of retirement two years ago and spent 10 seasons with the Dream, scored 11 points in the winner-take-all Game 7 and brought energy all series that made Nakase want to win for the veteran guard as much as anybody. Valkyries owner Joe Lacob guaranteed a championship within the first five years for this franchise three years ago when the Bay Area was granted an expansion team, and in improbable, joyful fashion, his team accomplished it in Year 2. That after becoming the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025. During the victory ceremony, Lacob shouted out the team and its leaders, while Nakase, general manager Ohemma Nyanin and President Jess Smith hugged. And Lacob thanked the fans who have sold out Chase Center for every game since Day 1. "Ballhalla!" Lacob hollered. ___ See AP's full WNBA coverage here

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