The Atlanta Dream were celebrating their Game 3 win, but over on the Golden State Valkyries’ side, Gabby Williams was absolutely losing it. Seriously, if you weren’t feeling the sting of that 26-point thumping, you needed to check your pulse. Williams, right there in the postgame huddle after going down 2-1 in the WNBA Finals, was emotional and fired up, and she let her teammates have it.
“Undisciplined” Doesn’t Even Begin to Cover It
Look, this is the Finals, right? Kiah Stokes, a four-time champion herself, put it best: “Is it not emotional? I mean, we’ve worked all season to get to this point. I think it’s okay to show some emotions.” And boy, did Williams show them. The Valkyries had just gotten absolutely clobbered by 26 points, a game where Williams led the team with 15 points but was also called “inefficient” as a scorer. The problem, though, wasn’t just on offense. Williams, 14-year veteran Tiffany Hayes, and even Head Coach Natalie Nakase all threw out the same word to describe the team’s Game 3 defensive effort: “undisciplined.”
Hayes chipped in 14 points off the bench, a solid effort, but the regulars just haven’t been aggressive enough to keep pace with Angel Reese and the Dream, especially on the offensive end. Veronica Burton summed up Williams’ fiery address perfectly, saying, “She’s bringing energy… she’s being a competitor. She’s being a leader. She’s holding people accountable, holding herself accountable, and that’s just the reality of being in the WNBA Finals right now. Emotions are high, and we want to be here. We want to win.” Nakase echoed that sentiment, adding, “I think Gabby’s just showing the amount of want to, the will, the fight… we love emotions. That’s part of it, and the will and the want to at this moment, it has to be ultra high, which I think she should have.” It’s clear: the intensity needed a serious jolt.
Can They Look in the Mirror and Fix This?
So, what now? Nakase and her coaching staff were pulling an all-nighter Wednesday into Thursday, digging through film, desperately searching for solutions for a more “aggressive” game plan. The Dream are absolutely feasting on turnovers, while the Valkyries can’t seem to force any giveaways themselves. That’s been a massive focus in their film sessions. This team HAS to figure out how to be more disruptive.
Despite the rough night, Stokes, the veteran voice of reason, reminded the team that it’s a long series. “We’re still very positive. We know we can fix it,” she said. “A lot of it is dealing with ourselves, so we just have to look in the mirror first and look forward.” This isn’t just about X’s and O’s, it’s about heart and hustle. The series is still in reach, but that 2-1 deficit feels huge right now. They need to find that swagger, that aggression, that *want to* Williams was screaming about.
The Finals roll on this Saturday for Game 4, tipping off at 10 a.m. PT. This is it. If the Valkyries want to make this a series, they have to steal this one, even the score, and turn it into a best-of-three before heading back to the Bay Area for Game 5 on Monday evening. Every possession, every rebound, every ounce of discipline Williams is demanding, it all counts starting Saturday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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