Following a 68-63 victory in game seven of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals, the Golden State Valkyries have been crowned the 2026 WNBA Champions. In the team’s second-ever season, coach Natalie Nakase led her team to become the most successful expansion team in league history!
Finding success early on
Just like any expansion team, the Valkyries had to build their roster from the ground up. It all began with an expansion draft, acquiring players from the existing teams. Each WNBA team had the right to protect a maximum of six players currently on the roster before the Valkyries had the opportunity to select one of the remaining players.
Notable picks were Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton, who both started in all games they played in the 2025 season. At the conclusion of their inaugural season, the Valkyries were ranked as the No. 8 team, qualifying them for the final spot in the postseason. They were swept by the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx.
Despite the early exit, the team was still widely successful in just their first year. In comparison, the new expansion teams of the 2026 season didn’t manage to reach that same milestone. The Portland Fire finished at No. 9 with a record of 17-27, and the Toronto Tempo had a record of 11-33, placing them at No. 13.
Preparation in the offseason
Before the start of the 2026 season, the WNBA was in chaos. Essentially, due to the delay in the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association (WNBPA) agreeing on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the timeline leading up to the season was accelerated.
The CBA was agreed upon on March 20, just weeks before training camps began on April 19. In that timeframe, the WNBA needed to hold an expansion draft for the two new teams, the official 2026 WNBA Draft, and time for teams to renegotiate and evaluate player contracts. With the new CBA significantly improving player salaries, there was plenty of change.
Specifically for the Valkyries, they used the period of free agency to their utmost advantage, if you ask me. They signed Gabby Williams from the Seattle Storm, a two-time NCAA Champion with the University of Connecticut. Kiah Stokes, a three-time WNBA Champion with the Las Vegas Aces, was also signed to a multi-year contract.
A better second season
In their inaugural season, they finished with a regular-season record of 23-21. This season, they managed an even more successful record of 32-12, placing them as the No. 2 seed. They led the league in the fewest points allowed by an opponent, at 75.1 per game, and the fewest turnovers, at 10.4 per game.
I’m a firm believer that statistics will never tell the full story, but they do depict just how strong a team defensively the Valkyries are. They’re known for their defense, with three players being named to 2026 WNBA All-Defensive Teams. Williams was named to First Team, while Burton and Stokes were both named to Second Team.
Advancing through the playoffs
As the No. 2 seed, their first-round matchup was against the No. 7 seed, Dallas Wings. The first game ended with a large victory over the Wings, whereas they lost game two in overtime. Game three was likely the most interesting, with the Valkyries coming back from a 16-point deficit in the final minutes of the game.
In the semifinals, they faced off against the Las Vegas Aces, the reigning WNBA Champions. This was Nakase’s previous team as one of their assistant coaches, before leading her team to a sweep as Head Coach. After multiple close victories, they were finals-bound, continuing to set history as their playoff journey went on.
The Atlanta Dream was their opponent in the finals, and they brought the best-of-seven series all the way to game seven. Golden State won the first game of the series before losing twice in a row to fall behind 2-1. They went on to win game four, once again tying the series. Nakase made large changes to their starting lineup and strategy, proving effective with that victory.
Golden State continued that winning momentum into game five, claiming victory in Ballhalla. With three wins, they had the potential to win it all in six games. Atlanta refused to let that happen and pushed the series into a game seven, the first in league history.
It all came down to the end
With both teams being such defensive menaces (at least that’s what I consider them to be), it shouldn’t be a surprise that the WNBA Finals went to a game seven. Statistically, both teams look rather identical, with 23 versus 24 made field goals and 35 versus 37 total rebounds, among other similarities.
The Valkyries were down 30-24 after the first half, before leading 45-44 going into the final quarter of the game. This shift is from a better offensive performance from Williams, finishing with 30 points. She drove her team towards victory, earning the award of Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Game seven finished with a final score of 68-63, another low-scoring game. Each Golden State win saw a close victory in single digits, but alas, a win is a win.
Golden State’s entire roster contributed greatly to their overall performance. From Stokes leading the team in blocks to Burton leading as the team’s main point guard, there were a multitude of factors that brought the Valkyries to their championship status.
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest!