Golden State Valkyries Win First WNBA Title in Historic Game 7

Golden State entered the closing stretch of the WNBA Finals one victory from a championship in just its second season. Atlanta trailed the series 3-2 before Game 6, according to CBS Sports, leaving the Dream needing two consecutive wins to take the title.

Both franchises were chasing their first championship. There was another milestone within reach: the WNBA Finals had never gone to a seventh game, Forbes reported.

Before Game 6, the schedule became a story of its own. The Thursday, October 29 matchup was set for 12:30 p.m. ET, drawing criticism, but Atlanta announced that the game was sold out, CBC News reported on October 28.

Atlanta made that afternoon count. Allisha Gray scored 23 points and Rhyne Howard added 21 in an 80-69 victory on October 29. The Dream held off a late Golden State rally and tied the series at 3-3, according to NBC News.

That result forced the first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history. Most subsequent previews scheduled the decider for Saturday, October 31, including The Hollywood Reporter. An earlier BBC Sport report had said Sunday; the final game reports confirm it was played Saturday night.

In the decider in San Francisco, Williams supplied the decisive scoring. She scored Golden State's final 11 points of the third quarter and continued strongly through the fourth, finishing with 30 points, CBC News reported.

Golden State won 68-63 on October 31 to secure the championship, according to ESPN. Atlanta's Angel Reese was limited to eight points in the defeat, CBS Sports reported.

The Valkyries are WNBA champions in only their second season, a rapid rise confirmed by NBC News. Their first title came in the league's first Finals Game 7.

Williams finished as Finals Most Valuable Player. Her series totals of 137 points and 18 steals set WNBA Finals records, according to Al Jazeera. Her 30 points in the deciding game accounted for nearly half of Golden State's scoring.

The next scheduled celebration is a championship parade. KGO reported that the Valkyries and the City of San Francisco had announced parade details after Saturday's victory, although the supplied coverage does not specify the date or route.