SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries are WNBA champions. Golden State closed out the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a decisive Game 7 at Chase Center on Saturday night, clinching the franchise's first title, according to NBC News.

It capped a back-and-forth series that lived up to its billing as just the second best-of-seven Finals in WNBA history, after the league expanded the format from best-of-five last year. Both franchises were chasing a first championship: Golden State as a second-year expansion team, Atlanta as a club making its first Finals appearance since 2013.

ATLANTA ARRIVED IN THE FINALS UNBEATEN THROUGH 10 STRAIGHT PLAYOFF GAMES

The Dream had looked like the heavier favorite entering the series, riding a 10-game unbeaten postseason streak into their first Finals trip in over a decade. Golden State, the No. 2 seed, had swept the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals to get there.

Golden State drew first blood, winning Game 1 at home 68-64. Atlanta answered behind a 30-point, 16-rebound night from Angel Reese to even the series, and the two teams traded wins through the middle of the series — Golden State taking Game 4 on the road, 67-62, to tie it 2-2, then winning a defensive slog in Game 5, 64-55, won behind a 25-22 halftime score that stood as the lowest-scoring first half in WNBA Finals history. Atlanta forced the issue by winning Game 6 at home to send the series back to the Bay Area for a decider.

A Fast-Rising Franchise

Golden State's run to the title comes less than two years after the Valkyries played their first-ever regular-season game, making them one of the fastest expansion franchises in major American pro sports to reach a championship. The team plays its home games at Chase Center, the arena it shares with the NBA's Golden State Warriors on the San Francisco waterfront.

For Atlanta, the loss extends a long championship drought for a franchise that has never won a WNBA title and was appearing in just its second Finals in club history. The Dream's unbeaten postseason streak, which had fueled talk of an improbable title run, ended at the worst possible moment.

Both teams will have new expectations heading into next season — Golden State as the team to beat, and Atlanta as a franchise that proved it belongs among the league's elite even in defeat.