Gabby Williams was transcendant in the second half of Game 7 on Saturday night.
The Golden State Valkyries were behind at the half in a series where that spelled doom for six straight games. Perhaps proof was about to manifest that the doubters were right, that a WNBA team without a single "superstar" was unable to win a championship.
Then Gabby Williams showed up, silencing the doubters and sending a message to her own organization: You don't need someone else. You've got me.
Gabby Williams was dominant
Any way you slice it, Gabby Williams put up an all-time performance in Game 7.
28 points in the second half, a WNBA playoff record. She took the ball on nearly every possession in the second half, generating shots for herself or her teammates. When she hit a stepback 3 to open the scoring binge in the third quarter, something came alive in her. Bang! Down went another triple. Bang! A third. She was on fire.
She was everywhere on defense as well. She totaled four blocks, joining Kiah Stokes' Finals block party. She was rotating into plays to swat away shot attempts. On a key play late in the fourth quarter, Gabby was called for a foul on a Jordin Canada drive. Natalie Nakase challenged and won, as Gabby Williams defended it beautifully without illegal contact and blocked the shot. When the Dream inbounded the ball after the overturn with 5 seconds left to shoot, Williams prevented Isobel Borlase from even getting a shot off.
30 points, four 3-pointers, four blocks. The only player to ever do that in a Finals game? Brenna Stewart. No one thinks she isn't a star.
For Williams to have such a dominant game when her team needed it most, in the first Game 7 in WNBA history, was incredible. And it sent a clear message to the league and even to Golden State ahead of this offseason.
The Valkyries have a superstar
Golden State just became the first team in WNBA history to win a championship without a single All-WNBA player on their roster. They came into the season and ran through the playoffs without one singular superstar carrying them, an ensemble cast where everyone sacrificed for one another.
The thought was that Golden State would need that undeniable star to be able to win at the highest levels. In basketball, where only five players at a time take the court, star power is critical. Whether you are in the NBA or WNBA, you almost always need a Top 5 player to win it all.
The Valkyries were well-positioned to add a star this summer, be it Napheesa Collier or Jackie Young. Collier returning to form would give them that Top-10-level player, while Young would be on the fringes of that conversation as well. And either could still join what Golden State has built in Balhalla.
Gabby Williams is making it clear that this team is not without a star, however. She was right there as the best defensive player in the league this season, and when it mattered the most, she stepped up and played like a superstar. No other player in the history of the WNBA can claim that they took over a Game 7. No one except Williams.
The Valkyries will have work to do to defend their crown next season. For now, however, it's Gabby Williams' moment. She is a true star.
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