Gabby Williams Named Finals Most Valuable Player

The Golden State Valkyries have won the 2026 WNBA Championship after Saturday’s 68-63 win over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals at Chase Center in San Francisco. 

Golden State becomes the fastest North American (NBA/NFL/NHL/MLB/WNBA) professional expansion team since 1967 to win a championship, earning the title in just its second year of existence (per Elias Sports Bureau).

Gabby Williams was named the WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player after leading all players with 19.6 points and 2.6 steals per game, becoming one of five players all-time to average at least 17.0 points and 2.5 steals per game in the Finals. Williams scored in double figures in six games during the Finals, including 26 points in game six and 30 in the Championship-clinching game seven victory tonight. Williams’ 11 games with 15+ points throughout the playoffs led all players in 2026, and are tied for the most in a single postseason in league history. 

This is Kiah Stokes’ fourth WNBA Championship after winning three with the Las Vegas Aces (2022, 2023 & 2025) which is tied for the second-most titles in league history; trailing only Rebekkah Brunson’s five WNBA Championships (2005, 2011, 2013, 2015 & 2017). This title is Natalie Nakase’s third after winning two with Las Vegas as an assistant coach (2022 & 2023). Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini are now each two-time WNBA Champions, with Thornton winning the 2024 title with New York and Zandalasini winning the 2017 title with Minnesota in her rookie season.

The Valkyries went 9-4 (.692) in the 2026 postseason, opening the playoffs with a 2-1 first-round series win over the Dallas Wings before sweeping the defending WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces, 3-0 in the Semifinals. Golden State then went on to defeat the Atlanta Dream, 4-3 in the Finals to clinch the title.

The WNBA Championship caps off a historic 2026 campaign for Golden State, in which the Valkyries became the 14th team in North American professional sports history (NBA/NFL/NHL/MLB/WNBA) to reach the postseason in each of its first two seasons of existence (per Elias Sports Bureau). Williams was named the first WNBA All-Star starter in team history before being named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team. Veronica Burton and Stokes were both named WNBA All-Defensive Second Team, and Janelle Salaün was unanimously voted the league’s Sixth Player of the Year. Golden State is the first-ever team to win a WNBA Championship without having an All-WNBA honoree on its roster that same season.

Details on the championship parade will be announced tomorrow morning.