WNBA Finals Game 6: Valkyries defeat Dream 76-71 to capture historic inaugural championship

Fairytale complete as Valkyries conquer Atlanta

The Golden State Valkyries achieved what was once considered impossible on Thursday night, 29 October, defeating the Atlanta Dream 76-71 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals at Gateway Center Arena to capture the 2026 championship. In doing so, the first-year franchise from the Bay Area became the first expansion team across major North American professional team sports to win a championship in its inaugural season since the 1950 Minneapolis Lakers.

Before a stunned and emotional Atlanta crowd in College Park, head coach Natalie Nakase’s squad demonstrated the same unyielding grit that defined their 32-12 regular season. Trailing 69-65 with four minutes remaining, Golden State turned to Finals MVP Gabby Williams, who scored five straight points on aggressive drives to restore parity. With the game deadlocked at 71-71 inside the final thirty seconds, veteran forward Kayla Thornton received a kick-out pass from Williams and buried a dagger three-pointer from the right corner with 24.1 seconds on the clock, sparking wild celebrations on the Valkyries bench.

Williams named Finals MVP in legendary playoff run

Gabby Williams was the unanimous choice for Finals MVP, capping an extraordinary postseason run with 21 points, six rebounds, and four steals in the series clincher. Her relentless two-way impact over the six-game duel held Atlanta’s explosive perimeter offense below 40 percent shooting. Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Atlanta star Angel Reese turned in another heroic double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, battling through exhaustion to give the Dream a chance until the final buzzer.

As the Valkyries hoisted the trophy on the hardwood in Georgia, the basketball world stood in awe of an unprecedented accomplishment. From building an entire roster from scratch in the expansion draft to conquering established dynasties and hoisting the championship trophy just six months later, Golden State has delivered the greatest inaugural sports season the modern era has ever witnessed.