The Golden State Valkyries beat the Dallas Wings 77-73 in a playoff thriller to extend their second ever season, after trailing by as much as 16 points. After the game, one name stood above all others as the reason: Gabby Williams.
Williams is known to be a defensive menace (coming second in this year's Defensive Player of the Year voting behind winner Angel Reese), but she's shown this series that she's a scorer when it matters most. In the Valkyries' Game 1 blowout win, Williams put up 20 points, and just days later, she dropped 36 in a heartbreaking loss, her career-high by a wide margin. On Friday in Game 3, Williams scored only 2 points (1-7) in the first half before exploding for 17 points and three 3-pointers in the second to help push the trailing Valkyries to a historic upset.
And yet, there was a point where Williams never would've been taking the big shots. In fact, according to her, she wasn't allowed to shoot from beyond the arc at all in college. That's exactly what drew Williams to the Bay during last offseason's free agency scramble: trust that she can be one of the best in the world when given the keys.
Big Shot Gabby
"I came [to the Golden State Valkyries] because I wanted someone to believe in me," Williams said about her clutch performance on Friday night. The wing, who was named the French Basketball Federation's Player of the Year mere hours before Game 3 over the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Evan Fournier, is used to being overlooked. "I've had these moments with Fener[bahce Opet], with my national team, but I never quite got that belief in the W from the staff or from teammates."
Williams has a point. For years, she's made a name for herself on the international stage, whether it be as a key piece to two EuroLeague championship-winning squads or almost carrying the French national team to beating the USA for the gold medal in the 2024 Olympics. As captain of France during this year's FIBA World Cup, Williams was named to the All-Star Five and won yet another silver medal for the country. In the WNBA, however, Williams was never seen as a player capable of being the star on a team, let alone the league's No. 2 seed.
That couldn't be more untrue on the Valkyries, though. "She's our dawg, she's our leader, she's the one we go to, and she showed you exactly why she is who she is," said veteran Tiffany Hayes, who scored 18 points off the bench on Friday. "We believe in her...that's Gabby F***ing Williams."
Williams is usually very humble when it comes to her skills between the lines, even when her performances warrant praise. Tonight, the media challenged her to brag. "I love these situations. I love high-pressure situations...I'm best when I have no choice but to be my best," she said.
You unlock a different level of stardom when you believe in a player like they have never been believed in before. In many ways, that's the Valkyries' storyline as a whole – a group of overlooked and undervalued WNBA players given the chance to build a foundation from the ground up in a new city. There will be growing pains, sure, but that underdog mentality paired with the rigor of a coach like Natalie Nakse is a recipe for some good basketball.
Add us as a preferred source on Google