Gabby Williams Fires Back at Doubters After Valkyries' Championship Win
Valkyries guard Gabby Williams attributed the team's WNBA title to strong character and culture, not individual stars.
The Golden State Valkyries have secured the WNBA championship, becoming the fastest franchise in North American sports history to achieve this feat. The team defeated the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on October 31, 2026.
Valkyries guard Gabby Williams was instrumental in the victory, scoring 30 points, with 27 of those coming in the second half. This second-half scoring total set a new WNBA postseason record and earned her the WNBA Finals MVP award.
Following the championship win, Williams addressed the team's success and pushed back against narratives that questioned their star power throughout the season.
“Man, all it took was good people. That’s it. All we heard last year: We don’t have no stars, we don’t have no talent. Yeah, right!” Williams stated. “We got good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game. They don’t care about scoring; they just want to play defense, and rebound, and do whatever it takes. And we just built a beautiful culture.”
Despite possessing a roster of talented players, a prevailing narrative during the season suggested the Valkyries lacked a singular star capable of leading them to a championship. Williams' performance and post-game comments served to silence those critics.
