Gabby Williams Scores 28 in Second Half to Lift Golden State to 4-3 WNBA Title

The 2026 WNBA Finals concluded with a historic performance by the Golden State Valkyries, who defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 on Saturday to claim the championship. This victory marks the first title in franchise history for the expansion team, which secured the win in its second year of existence.

Gabby Williams, a former UConn star, was the driving force behind the comeback. After recording only two points in the first 20 minutes of the game, Williams erupted for 28 points in the final half, setting a WNBA postseason record for the most points scored in a half. Her total game output reached 30 points, leading all players in the match. The league named her the Finals MVP, making her the fourth former UConn Husky to receive that honor, following Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and Maya Moore.

The second half of the game was defined by Williams' individual dominance. She outscored the entire Atlanta Dream team in the third quarter, finishing that period 15-14. Williams scored 13 consecutive points during this stretch, including three straight three-pointers, to shift the momentum and put Golden State ahead 45-44 entering the fourth quarter. Although Atlanta tied the score with just over five minutes remaining, Williams hit a 31-foot three-pointer with 2:15 left to put Golden State up by three points. Tiffany Hayes then sank two free throws with 30 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

The result breaks a trend established in the series. In the first six games of the Finals, the team leading at halftime had always won the contest. Saturday marked the first exception. The Valkyries started with an aggressive defensive effort that forced Atlanta to miss its first 10 shots, but the Dream responded with an 11-2 run to lead 30-24 at the intermission.

Kiah Stokes, another former Husky, played a pivotal role on the defensive end. She finished the game with a series-high 13 rebounds, eight points, and two blocks. For the 2026 playoffs, Stokes recorded 31 total blocks, a figure nearly four times her previous postseason career high of eight. She also set the WNBA Finals record with 19 blocks in a single series and became the first player in league history to record at least three blocks in four consecutive Finals games.

Stokes, who won three titles with the Las Vegas Aces before joining Golden State, is now one of only three former Huskies with four WNBA championships, joining Sue Bird and Maya Moore. Kaitlyn Chen and Tiffany Hayes also earned their first professional titles with the Valkyries. This brings the total count of former UConn players to have won WNBA titles to 22.

Williams joined the franchise in the offseason following a season with Seattle. She averaged 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game during the Finals. The former Husky also earned her second All-Star selection this season and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. On the international stage, she led France to a silver medal at both the 2024 Olympics and the 2026 World Cup.

After the game, Williams credited the local community for her success. She told USA Network, "I wasn't gonna lose on Halloween.. Everyone here, not just the players, but the staff, the community, the city, the Bay, ya'll have been pouring into me all season. This is a long season, and y'all give me energy every single night."