Golden State Valkyries win first WNBA title over Atlanta Dream in Game 7
2 sources • 2 min read • Latest: Nov 1, 2026, 4:10 PM
Last updated Nov 1, 2026
The Golden State Valkyries captured their first WNBA championship on October 31, defeating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a thrilling Game 7. Coach Natalie Nakase led the team, which included several overlooked players who had been given new life in their careers. This victory marks the fastest an expansion team has won a championship in major North American professional sports, achieving the feat just 534 days after their inaugural game. The Valkyries, who entered the season as 45-1 longshots, showcased resilience and teamwork throughout the playoffs, culminating in a comeback win against the Dream.
- •Golden State won 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA finals.
- •Natalie Nakase is the team's coach, emphasizing trust and opportunity.
- •The Valkyries became the fastest expansion team to win a championship.
- •The win featured key contributions from players with previous struggles.
- •Gabby Williams was named WNBA finals MVP for her performance.
- 4:10 PMYahoo Sports — ‘We have effing unbreakable love’: how the maverick Natalie Nakase led the Valkyries to WNBA glory
- 4:10 PMThe Guardian Sport — ‘We have effing unbreakable love’: how the maverick Natalie Nakase led the Valkyries to WNBA glory
"A coach shaped by her circuitous basketball journey was uniquely suited to building the trust that made Golden State champions just 534 days after their first game The mighty, miserly Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA title on Saturday night with a point guard Dallas had given up on and cast aside, a starting forward who had been waived five times and a late-blooming All-Star once passed over by every team in the league. That made them a fitting match for their coach. Natalie Nakase has pieced together a basketball life on making small openings count, turning a walk-on place at UCLA into a scholarship and an unsolicited scouting report into a coaching job in Japan’s top men’s league. The Valkyries’ nerve-shredding 68-63 fightback over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 did more than make them the fastest expansion team in major North American professional sports history to win a championship – as 45-1 preseason longshots in their second season of existence. It was proof of concept for an organization that gave overlooked players the resources, responsibility and trust to become champions – and enlisted a leader whose own circuitous journey had taught her what those things could unlock. Continue reading...
"A coach shaped by her circuitous basketball journey was uniquely suited to building the trust that made Golden State champions just 534 days after their first game
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsNov 1, 2026, 4:10 PM‘We have effing unbreakable love’: how the maverick Natalie Nakase led the Valkyries to WNBA glory
A coach shaped by her circuitous basketball journey was uniquely suited to building the trust that made Golden State champions just 534 days after their first game
- The Guardian SportNov 1, 2026, 4:10 PM‘We have effing unbreakable love’: how the maverick Natalie Nakase led the Valkyries to WNBA glory
A coach shaped by her circuitous basketball journey was uniquely suited to building the trust that made Golden State champions just 534 days after their first game The mighty, miserly Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA title on Saturday night with a point guard Dallas had given up on and cast aside, a starting forward who had been waived five times and a late-blooming All-Star once passed over by every team in the league. That made them a fitting match for their coach. Natalie Nakase has pieced together a basketball life on making small openings count, turning a walk-on place at UCLA into a scholarship and an unsolicited scouting report into a coaching job in Japan’s top men’s league. The Valkyries’ nerve-shredding 68-63 fightback over the Atlanta Dream in Game 7 did more than make them the fastest expansion team in major North American professional sports history to win a championship – as 45-1 preseason longshots in their second season of existence. It was proof of concept for an organization that gave overlooked players the resources, responsibility and trust to become champions – and enlisted a leader whose own circuitous journey had taught her what those things could unlock. Continue reading...
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