Valkyries capture WNBA title in 2nd season, topping Dream in Game 7 - GMA Network
On a night when Gabby Williams scored 30 points, the WNBA held its first Game 7 in a championship series and the Golden State Valkyries earned their first championship, strength in numbers was credited for propelling the second-year club to historic heights.
From owner Joe Lacob to coach Natalie Nakase and the star, Williams, one number stood out: 18,064.
"Ballhalla," Lacob screamed into a live microphone in tribute to a deafening capacity crowd at Chase Center in San Francisco during the trophy ceremony after his Valkyries had taken down the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a hard-fought, winner-take-all finale. "Ballhalla."
Williams overcame a 1-for-4, two-point first half to become the first player in WNBA postseason history to score 28 points in a half. The Valkyries' only All-Star, added as a free agent in the offseason, joined Lacob in thanking a crowd that has sold out every game in franchise history, setting league attendance records.
"Honestly, everyone here, not just the players and the staff. (Also) the community, the city, the (San Francisco) Bay (Area)," she gushed at center court shortly after having been named the series' Most Valuable Player. "Y'all have been pouring into me all season. It's a long season and y'all gave me energy.
"When the energy is this good and positive, it's easy to come to work everyday. That's what I came here for."
Playing 38 of the game's 40 minutes, Williams saved enough energy to do a Stephen Curry impersonation on a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:18 to go and later win a key jump ball, and Kiah Stokes converted a rare Williams late miss into a key hoop with 53 seconds left, sending the violet-clad crowd into a frenzy.
In the end, Nakase recognized the enormity of piecing together a bunch of players left unprotected in the expansion draft, a handful of international imports and one key free-agent signing into the league's second-best record in the regular season and the first-ever Game 7 winner in WNBA history.
"This is for all the people out there who are underrated, misunderstood. This is for all y'all," she insisted from midcourt to her home fans and a national television audience as well. "This is proof: If you put all your heart and all your soul (into it), you can win championships."
Rallying from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter, the Valkyries were tied at 53-all midway through the fourth after Allisha Gray connected on a short jumper for Atlanta with 5:14 to play.
Williams, after spearheading an earlier rally, then came alive again. She hit two free throws with 3:34 to go and a driving hoop 32 seconds later as the teams exchanged baskets. She then buried arguably the most important shot in Valkyries history -- a 31-footer to give Golden State the lead for good at 60-57 with 2:18 to go.
She added two free throws, and when Stokes tipped in her teammate's miss in the final minute, Chase Center -- nicknamed "Ballhalla" -- erupted as Golden State had a 64-57 advantage that it was able to protect through the end.
"We didn't let anyone put a limit on us all year," demanded Veronica Burton, who backed Williams with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. "When you work hard and you put your head down and drive, anything's possible."
Williams' 30 points were her second-most in a playoff game, topped only by the 36 she had in Game 2 of Golden State's first-round series win over the Dallas Wings on Sept. 30. She made 10 of her 23 field-goal attempts on Saturday when neither team shot well.
She set records for most points (137) and most steals (18) in a WNBA Finals. She also found time for four of Golden State's eight blocks in the championship game.
Besides holding Dream star Angel Reese to eight points, Stokes had a game-high 13 rebounds for the Valkyries, who won despite making just five of their 20 3-point shots. The Golden State center also had two blocks, giving her a WNBA Finals-record 19 en route to her fourth title.
Tiffany Hayes also aided the Golden State cause with 11 points.
Jordin Canada had 18 points and Gray 16 for Atlanta, which shot just 33.3% overall (23 of 69) and 6-for-30 from beyond the arc.
"I'm just grateful I got to go to war with this group," Reese, who led Atlanta with 12 rebounds, assured the media afterward. "It's tough in the moment, but we'll be back."
Dream coach Karl Smesko lamented what he called "a lot of little stretches" of subpar play, including a game-opening 5:19 in which Atlanta went scoreless, falling behind 8-0 while missing eight straight shots -- four 3-pointers and four shots from inside the arc that were all blocked -- and tossing in four turnovers.
"It's beyond frustrating that we didn't accomplish what we set out to accomplish," he admitted at his postgame press conference. "Those first five minutes ... you can't get those five minutes back."
