SAN FRANCISCO ― Gabby Williams continues to raise her level of play as the WNBA go on.
The Golden State Valkyries All-Star made her impact felt in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals as she helped lead the to a 68-64 win against the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Williams finished the game with 26 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. She went scoreless in the first quarter but dished two assists. Then, she flipped a switch.
Williams paced the Valkyries in the second quarter with a historic offensive performance, scoring 16 points and giving Golden State a much-needed spark. It was a career-high for Williams and tied Jonquel Jones for the third-most points scored in a quarter in a WNBA Finals game.
"I was just excited to be
here. I was just having fun," Williams said. "Once we all started having fun and the excitement got out, we started to kind of find our way."
Williams shot 8-for-22 in the game, including sealing the deal in the fourth quarter with the final two free throws to put the game out of reach.
"She's a great attacker and she can also pull up, off the dribble for 3," Atlanta Dream head coach Karl Smesko said of Williams. "She puts a lot of pressure on your defense. I thought she had a great first half. I thought we defended her better in the second half, but a couple of key breakdowns (at the end)."
Now the Valkyries are up 1-0 in the WNBA Finals. Three wins away from their first-ever WNBA championship.
The Valkyries faced questions around who would be their go-to scorer when Golden State needed to lean on someone.
In the regular season, Williams averaged 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. She's upped her production in the postseason becoming a the catalyst for the Valkyries' success. Williams has averaged 22.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game during the 2026 WNBA postseason.
Williams struggled at times but remained poised. She came out of the second half a little cold but adapted. W scored two points on 1-for-5 shooting in the third quarter. She finished with 10 points in the final 20 minutes.
"One of our trainers, she was like, in the fourth quarter, you always do this thing," Williams said, "and I know you're going to start taking over. You look at the clock. And I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm counting.' I'm counting possessions. I'm counting points. OK, what do we need now? What's the most timely time to go? I think it's just like the best way to kind of take the pressure off things too is just to break them down possession by possession."
Having played for the Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm before signing with the Valkyries in the offseason, Williams came into this matchup with a chip on her shoulder. She provided a message to those who have counted her or the Valkyries out during WNBA Finals media day on Thursday.
She feels disrespected and slighted. Those who are finally coming around to Williams can stay on the other side.
"It's mostly come from ex-teammates, opponents, players, friends," Williams said on the respect she and Valkyries get. "The media's never respected me. I've never expected them to. So, that's always in the back of my head.
"I've never paid any mind to the media so if the media's praising me now, I don't care."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gabby Williams keeps raising her game as Valkyries chase WNBA title
