Gabby Williams Wins Finals MVP After Postseason Scoring Record

Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams secured her first WNBA championship on Saturday night after leading her team to a 68-63 victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7. Williams was named the 2026 WNBA Finals MVP for her performance inside Chase Center.

Her second-half scoring was the most dominant of the postseason. Williams recorded 28 points after the break, a single-half scoring record for any WNBA postseason game according to league records. The Valkyries overcame a six-point deficit to win the series and claim the franchise's first title.

Williams attributed the comeback to the team's defensive strategy. In a Monday interview on Good Morning America, she explained that keeping the Dream under 40 points allowed the team to control the game. "We were down six [points], but we had the game kind of right where we wanted it," she said. "We're a defensive-minded team, so the fact that we kept them under 40, we were like, 'OK, we got this.'"

The 30-year-old emphasized that the title was a collective effort rather than an individual achievement. She noted that the Valkyries finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed, their second-ever appearance in the league. Williams credited the coaching staff for building a strong team culture, stating that a good group of people can take a team further than star power alone.

"Our staff did a great job of picking great people to create a good culture here," Williams said. "That's something that attracted me to this team. They just kept using the word 'culture,' and that goes way far. I've been on the super teams, I've been on the team with the stars, and have fallen much shorter than we did this year. So, I think, just a good group of people can take you a long way."

Williams also highlighted the leadership of head coach Natalie Nakase. She described Nakase as the most competitive person she has ever met, noting that her coach's intensity extended to how she treats people and shows up each day. "I think she's a leader by example," Williams said. "She cares so, so deeply on a human level for each person, and you just want to go through a wall for her."

The Valkyries defeated the Dream in seven games to end the 2026 WNBA season as champions. Williams' 28-point second half stands as the highest scoring run in a single half of WNBA postseason play.