Valkyries Hold Off Dream 68-64 in WNBA Finals Game 1 as Gabby Williams Scores 26

As of 11:32 a.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

Gabby Williams scored a game-high 26 points, including two go-ahead free throws with 1:18 left and two more with 4.1 seconds remaining, and the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-64 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco.

It was the first WNBA Finals win in Valkyries history, according to the team. Neither franchise has won a championship, so the best-of-seven series will produce a first-time champion, the Associated Press reported.

How it was won

Golden State ended the game on a 7-0 run, with Williams scoring six of those points at the foul line. The Dream went 0-for-7 in the final 2:53, five of those attempts from 3-point range, ESPN reported. Atlanta scored just eight points in the fourth quarter on 2-of-19 shooting, according to the Valkyries, who said it was the fewest points allowed in a WNBA Finals quarter since 2022. The official box score shows Golden State outscored Atlanta 17-8 in the final period.

Williams scored 16 of her points in the second quarter, a quarter total the team said is tied for the third-most in WNBA Finals history. She was the only Valkyrie in double figures, finishing 8-of-22 from the field and 7-of-8 from the line. Kiah Stokes added nine points, seven rebounds and four blocks, and Kaila Charles had seven points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Neither offense found much rhythm. Golden State shot 32.1% from the field and 7-of-33 from 3-point range; Atlanta shot 32.8% and 4-of-25 from deep. ESPN noted it was only the second time in a Finals game that both teams shot below 33%. The Valkyries won the rebounding battle 41-35, scored 17 points off 12 Atlanta turnovers, and got 20 bench points to Atlanta's six.

"We always knew we were going to find a way somehow," Williams said.

Dream side

Allisha Gray, back in the starting lineup after missing the final two games of Atlanta's semifinal sweep of the New York Liberty with an injured left ring finger, led the Dream with 19 points on 5-of-19 shooting. Angel Reese had 14 points and 12 rebounds, scoring 11 in the first quarter before going 0-for-5 the rest of the way, according to the Valkyries. Rhyne Howard scored 12 on 3-of-14 shooting. Atlanta led by eight after one quarter and by as many as nine.

"We were right there. Right there," Dream coach Karl Smesko said. "That's why it hurts a little bit, but it also motivates us."

Injury watch

Williams was tended to by an athletic trainer on the bench late after Atlanta's Jordin Canada bumped her knee on a box-out during free throws, the AP reported. Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes hit her face on the floor going for a steal with 2:38 left and walked to the locker room on her own. Neither team had announced an update on either player as of 11:32 a.m. ET Sunday.

Up next

Game 2 is Monday at Chase Center at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on USA and Peacock, according to the Valkyries. The team said Saturday's crowd of 18,064 was its 50th consecutive sellout.