NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 25 points in a reserve role, Jeremiah Fears added 20 points, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-99 on Saturday night.
Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III each scored 15 for the Pelicans, who lead by 28 en route to their second straight victory after losing their first four games.
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New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) tries to make a move against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) tries to make a move against New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, right, looks to shoot against Atlanta Hawks guard Luguentz Dort, left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) brings the ball upcourt in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
CJ McCollum, playing in New Orleans for the first time since the Pelicans traded him to Washington in June 2025, scored 14 points for Atlanta. Fans applauded while a tribute video that the Pelicans produced for McCollum played on the videoboards above the court.
But the Hawks, who’ve lost four of five, missed 38 of 46 3-point shots (17.4%) they attempted and never trailed by fewer than 10 points after falling behind by that amount late in the first quarter.
Making matters worse for Atlanta, reserve guard Kingston Flemmings, who scored 12 points, received a technical foul and was ejected for elbowing Pelicans reserve guard Bryce McGowens in the face during the final minutes.
The incident caused a brief scrum in which most players and coaches served as peace makers. Officials reviewed video before ejecting Flemmings.
Both of New Orleans' victories have come since first-year coach Jamahl Mosley tinkered with the starting lineup, inserting versatile Croation Karlo Matkovic at and defensive standout Herb Jones at shooting guard. They joined incumbent starters Williamson, Murphy and Fears.
Matkovic grabbed 10 rebounds and hit a pair of corner 3s on his way to eight points. Jones scored 11 points. Fears, meanwhile, hit the 20-point mark for a second straight game.
The Pelicans raced to a 35-18 lead in the first quarter, when they shot 56% and turned eight Hawks turnovers into 16 points. New Orleans still led by double digits at halftime, 63-48.
New Orleans led by as many as 20 in the third quarter before taking a 92-74 lead into the fourth quarter.
Hawks: At Indiana on Monday night.
Pelicans: At Memphis on Monday night.
See AP’s full NBA coverage here
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (2) tries to make a move against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) tries to make a move against New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, right, looks to shoot against Atlanta Hawks guard Luguentz Dort, left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) brings the ball upcourt in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — 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-takes-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.
Rhyne Howard's layup tied it at 57 with 2:41 left only for Williams to answer once more with a clutch 3-pointer. She converted two free throws with 1:40 remaining, then Kiah Stokes scored a late basket. Stokes — now a four-time WNBA champion — pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked two more shots to cap her spectacular postseason.
Williams left Seattle with a great feeling about joining Golden State and its close-knit culture, returning to the Bay Area determined to prove herself as a WNBA star after all her international success — and now she's a postseason icon. Fans chanted “Gabby! Gabby!” throughout the fourth quarter.
“All it took was good people,” she said. “All we heard last year was we don’t have no stars. We don’t have no talent. Yeah right! We got good people. We got good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game.”
When the final buzzer sounded, the violet-clad sellout crowd at Chase Center went into a frenzy as players sprinted onto the floor to hug and celebrate as confetti fell from the rafters.
“Ballhalla” had become “Boohalla” for this far-but-haunted Halloween night in the raucous arena. Now, with a women's championship to its name right alongside the one earned by the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
“We gotta build a bigger trophy case,” co-owner Peter Guber said.
The team that led at halftime in the first six matchups had won every game so far, and the Dream were ahead 30-24 at the break. Atlanta also had been 16-0 this season when Reese made at least one 3. The Dream's DeWanna Bonner became the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds.
Nakase told Williams at halftime the game would open up for her.
“Nat told me to stay patient, I trust her with my life,” Williams said. “I stayed patient.”
Nakase changed her starting lineup in a move that paid huge dividends after Golden State fell behind 2-1, inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes and bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini off the bench.
The 37-year-old Hayes, who came out of retirement two years ago and spent 10 seasons with the Dream, scored 11 points in the winner-take-all Game 7 and brought energy all series that made Nakase want to win for the veteran guard as much as anybody.
Valkyries owner Joe Lacob guaranteed a championship within the first five years for this franchise three years ago when the Bay Area was granted an expansion team, and in improbable, joyful fashion, his team accomplished it in Year 2. That after becoming the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025.
During the victory ceremony, Lacob shouted out the team and its leaders, while Nakase, general manager Ohemma Nyanin and President Jess Smith hugged. And Lacob thanked the fans who have sold out Chase Center for every game since Day 1.
“Ballhalla!” Lacob hollered.
“These ladies deserve all the credit in the world for the incredible resilience, every last one of them, and our coach,” he said later. “I can't even say how proud I am. I don't care men, women, whatever, it doesn't matter, that is an incredible year, an incredible performance, not only tonight but the whole playoffs.”
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) reacts after making a 3-point basket against the Atlanta Dream during the second half of the WNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) reacts following a score during the second half of theWNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Valkyries' mascot Violet lies on the court over fallen confetti following a Golden State championship victory at the WNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) and forward Cecilia Zandalasini (24) reach to hug each other following their championship victory at the WNBA Finals Game 7 at Chase Center, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Atlanta Dream guard DeWanna Bonner (24) shoots against Golden State Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini (24) during the second half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (15) drives to the basket against Golden State Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini (24) during the second half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream forward Naz Hillmon (00) goes to the basket against Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) during the second half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) and forward Naz Hillmon (00) celebrates during the first half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) blocks a shot by Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) during the first half of Game 7 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
