GOLDEN STATE WINS WNBA TITLE IN ONLY THEIR 2ND YEAR

     A fresh WNBA CHAMPIONS T-shirt over her uniform, Gabby Williams cradled the shiny MVP trophy in one arm and gave it a kiss. She held up a No. 1 with her left hand, then hugged and high-fived her supporters all the way to Golden State’s locker room where she pulled on some goggles for the celebration.

     Williams made her way back to the Bay Area where she cherishes so many youth basketball memories exactly for a chance to do something like this — to win it all and be part of building something special.

     And she has done that all right. 

     “I just walked into a group full of love,” Williams said. “And that just changed the entire trajectory of my career.”

     Williams scored her team’s final 11 points of the third quarter and dazzled through the fourth on the way to 30 points, and the Valkyries captured a championship in just their second season by beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a sensational first WNBA Finals Game 7 on Saturday night.

     “Gabby is our closer she stayed patient, she stayed with it,” coach Natalie Nakase said. “Closing with 30, that is incredible!”

     Williams joined Penny Taylor in 2007 for Phoenix as the only players in WNBA history to score 30 or more points in a winner-take-all Finals game.

     Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Allisha Gray 16 and Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds for the Dream, denied another championship in the franchise’s fourth try. 

     Gray made two free throws with 11 seconds left then Atlanta forced a jump ball — Gray against Williams — and Veronica Burton corralled it and converted two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go.

     “I’m just so blessed, this is insane!” said Burton, cut by Dallas two years ago.