Valkyries’ Title Parade Plans Follow Williams’ Heroic Moment in SF
WHO:
SFGATE - The Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA championship in their second year, defeating the Atlanta Dream.
SFGATE - San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the parade plans.
The San Francisco Standard - Gabby Williams, a Golden State forward, was named WNBA Finals MVP after scoring 30 points in Game 7.
The San Francisco Standard - Coach Natalie Nakase, forward Kayla Thornton, center Kiah Stokes, and point guard Veronica Burton were among the Valkyries involved in the Game 7 events described.
Sportskeeda - Fans hailed the Valkyries for winning the championship without a single All-WNBA selection.
WHAT:
SFGATE - Golden State beat Atlanta 68-63 in Game 7 to clinch the WNBA title.
The San Francisco Standard - Williams scored 28 of her 30 points in the second half, setting a WNBA postseason record for points in a half. She took 19 of Golden State’s 34 second-half shots.
The San Francisco Standard - Williams made three 3-pointers in under a minute, added a 10-foot jumper, scored 11 fourth-quarter points, and contributed to several key defensive stops.
The San Francisco Standard - Golden State won before 18,064 fans. Williams said, “This is the moment. This is my time to give it my everything for this community.”
The San Francisco Standard - Kayla Thornton said, “Once I saw her hit one, I said, ‘Oh, it’s a wrap.’” Nakase reacted to Williams’ score with, “You had 30? A 30-piece?”
SFGATE - The championship parade will start at the Ferry Building, travel along the Embarcadero, and end at Second and King.
SFGATE - Fans may line up along the route starting at 9 a.m.; BART will run extra trains and increase security.
SFGATE - Muni’s F and N lines will be suspended from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; street closures will be in effect, and self-driving cars will be banned from the area for much of the day.
SFGATE - The Valkyries lost Game 6, 80-69, after having a chance to clinch the series; the game began at 9:30 a.m. Pacific.
WHEN:
SFGATE - The parade is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, at noon; it is expected to end around 2 p.m.
SFGATE - Fans may begin lining up at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
SFGATE - The team’s ownership group had Warriors games at Chase Center on Sunday and Monday; Tuesday was Election Day.
The San Francisco Standard - Williams’ scoring surge came in the final 20 minutes of Game 7; her first described layup came with 4:17 left in the third quarter.
WHERE:
SFGATE - Game 7 and the championship victory took place in San Francisco; the parade route runs along the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building near Mission Street to King and Second streets.
The San Francisco Standard - Game 7 was played at Chase Center in San Francisco before a crowd of 18,064.
The San Francisco Standard - Williams lives in Oakland and drove to Chase Center in Mission Bay.
WHY:
SFGATE - Wednesday was chosen for the parade because the ownership group had Warriors games at Chase Center on Sunday and Monday, while city resources would be in high demand on Tuesday for Election Day.
SFGATE - The mayor’s office said self-driving cars would be prohibited to “reduce congestion in dense, high-foot traffic zones.”
HOW:
The San Francisco Standard - Williams’ scoring run began after Thornton stole the ball and passed ahead to Burton, who passed to Williams for a layup. Williams then scored in a sequence that included three 3-pointers and a jumper.
SFGATE - The parade will proceed along the Embarcadero, with fans asked to consider public transit; BART plans extra trains and increased security.
The Golden State Valkyries won their first WNBA title, defeating Atlanta in Game 7. Gabby Williams earned Finals MVP after a record-setting second half. San Francisco’s championship parade is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4.