Gabby Williams scores 30 as the Valkyries win the WNBA title in Game 7

The Golden State Valkyries are WNBA champions. Gabby Williams scored 30 points and the Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the Finals on Saturday night at Chase Center, finishing off a title in only the franchise's second season. The WNBA says no expansion team has ever won a championship faster.

Williams was also named Finals MVP. She averaged 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 steals over the seven games, per the league. On Saturday she went 10 of 23 from the field, made four 3-pointers, blocked four shots and hit all six of her free throws.

Atlanta controlled the first half and led 30-24 at the break. That mattered, because the team leading at halftime had won each of the first six games of the series, according to the AP recap on ESPN. Williams changed it in the third quarter. She scored Golden State's last 11 points of the period, and the Valkyries won the second half 44-33.

The finish was tight. Rhyne Howard's layup tied it 57-57 with 2:41 left, and Williams answered with a 3-pointer. She added two free throws with 1:40 to go, and Kiah Stokes cleaned up a miss for a 64-57 lead with 53.8 seconds left. Allisha Gray kept Atlanta alive with a 3 and then two free throws with 11 seconds left. On the next possession the Dream forced a jump ball between Gray and Williams, Veronica Burton came up with it, and Burton made two free throws with 5.1 seconds left to seal it.

Stokes finished with eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Tiffany Hayes scored 11 and Burton had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Golden State made 15 of 16 free throws, which covered for a 5-of-20 night from 3.

Atlanta's shooting is what cost it. The Dream went 6 of 30 from deep and 23 of 69 overall. Jordin Canada led them with 18 points, Gray scored 16 and Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds. Howard, who scored 21 in Game 6, went 3 of 14 and 0 of 7 from 3. It was Atlanta's fourth trip to the Finals, and it still has no title.

The series turned when Golden State coach Natalie Nakase changed her starting lineup after falling behind 2-1, moving Kaila Charles and Hayes into the starting five. The Valkyries won three of the last four games. The sellout crowd of 18,064 got the franchise's first banner, and a Bay Area that already has a 2022 Warriors title now has a women's one to go with it.

What's next: The WNBA offseason, with Golden State's front office now building on a champion instead of an expansion roster.