At halftime of the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history, the Golden State Valkyries trailed by six. Their star, Gabby Williams, had two points. A first title for either team was on the line, and Atlanta led. Then everything flipped. Williams scored 28 points in the second half, and the Valkyries won 68-63 at Chase Center in San Francisco.

The congratulations came quickly, starting at the very top.

Former US President Barack Obama posted on X, “Congrats to the new WNBA champs, the @Valkyries! Ballhalla was rocking all season, and this team was fun to watch. Enjoy the celebration.”

Tennis great Martina Navratilova followed with a message for the star of the night: “Gabby Williams rules :), #1 jersey and #1 on the floor, well done.”

Nike Basketball then posted, “Some rings happen fast. Only two years into their existence as a franchise, the Golden State Valkyries are the 2026 WNBA Champions.”

The NBA wrote, “IN JUST THEIR 2ND SEASON, GOLDEN STATE ARE WNBA CHAMPIONS. Congratulations @valkyries.”

That win made Golden State the WNBA champion in just its second season. Looking back to 1967, the start of the NFL’s Super Bowl era, no expansion team in the NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLB, or NFL has won a title faster. The 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks held the old record.

Williams earned the praise she deserved after being named the Finals MVP. She scored 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting, hit four three-pointers and made all six of her free throws, and added four blocks and two steals. Her four blocks tied Veronica Burton and Diana Taurasi for the most by a guard in a Finals game.

Before Game 7, she was averaging 17.8 points and 2.7 steals in the series. Williams scored the team’s final 11 points of the third quarter, 15 in all for the period, and hit three straight threes to cut Atlanta’s lead to two.

Golden State led 45-44 going into the fourth, and fans chanted “Gabby! Gabby!” through it. With just over two minutes left, she hit a contested three with two seconds on the shot clock to make it 60-57.

Williams averaged a career-best 14.4 points and shot 34.2% from three. She finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and made the All-Defensive First Team. She was the engine of the league’s top-ranked defense and the shot-maker the Valkyries needed.

The Valkyries’ rise was fast and steady. They were the No. 2 seed, beat Dallas in the first round, and swept the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. In the Finals series, they won Games 1, 4, and 5, then clinched at home. They opened Game 7 with an 8-0 run and five blocks before Atlanta scored.

Others closed it out. Burton won the final jump ball and made two free throws with 5.1 seconds left. Kiah Stokes had 13 rebounds. Tiffany Hayes scored 11 points and won her first WNBA title at 37. Coach Natalie Nakase built it all on defense, and Golden State allowed a league-low 75.1 points per game.

When the buzzer sounded, confetti fell on a violet-clad sellout crowd. It was Halloween, and fans called the building “Boohalla.” The title sits beside the Warriors’ 2022 championship. Owner Joe Lacob had guaranteed a title in five years. His team got it in two, with Gabby Williams as its No. 1 on the floor.