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For the Gays: Valkyries Make History With First Championship, Gabby Williams Takes Finals MVP

November 2, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 31: The Golden State Valkyries, including Head coach Natalie Nakase, celebrate winning Game Seven of the WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream on October 31, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The expansion team made history for The Bay, for Ballhalla and, of course, for the gays.

After only two years as a team, the Golden State Valkyries made history on Halloween night as the fastest expansion team among the WNBA, NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL to win a title. In the WNBA’s first ever Final Game Seven, the Atlanta Dream and Valkyries went back and forth, creating a nail biter that attendees at Ballhalla (Boohalla for the night) will never forget.

Two-time WNBA All-Star and Olympic medalist Gabby Williams came alive in the second half, dropping 30 points and sealing the deal on her crowning as Finals MVP. Williams celebrated the win with her partner, NY Liberty guard Marine Johannés, on the court with a sweet embrace and kiss on the cheek sending fans swooning.

Both Williams and Johannés have showed up for one another throughout their separate WNBA journeys, sporting jerseys, necklaces and even tattoos as a sign of their support. The Championship run was no different, with Johannés in attendance at every appearance donning a Williams piece of merch. The two got sweet pictures together with the Championship and MVP trophies and attended a Warriors game together the next night.

Also ringing in the win with her girlfriend was Italian forward Cecilia Zandalasini. Throughout the finals, when it felt like nothing could fall for Golden State, they could count that Zandalasini would get something to go. The forward scored 59 points over the seven games and then celebrated with her girlfriend, Italian model Sara Barbieri.

Throughout their finals run, the Valkyries kept their whimsy—from Kaitlin Chen’s Game Seven hot dog costume and Janelle Salaun flipping someone off while on national television to whatever is going on with Kate Martin and Veronica Burton and head coach Natalie Nakase passing out in the middle of the game, this is certainly a series that will remain in the WNBA history books.

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