Gabby Williams just led the Golden State Valkyries to their maiden WNBA title, snagging Finals MVP after dropping an insane 30 points in a Game 7 for the ages against the Atlanta Dream. Talk about clutch: 28 of those points came in the second half! What a way to make history, right? This was the first Finals series ever to go seven games, and Williams’ performance was absolutely legendary.
She Was 100% Ring-Chasing, And The Valkyries Weren’t It
Gabby spilled the beans this week on Sue Bird’s “Bird’s Eye View” podcast. Turns out, when she hit free agency last spring, her ONLY goal was to win a championship. She was “100% ring-chasing,” she said. And get this: the Valkyries, the team she just led to a title, weren’t even on her radar at first! It’s wild to think about now, right? She was looking for a ring in 2026, and Golden State just didn’t meet that initial goal. It just goes to show you how quickly things can flip in this league.
Joe Lacob’s ‘I Never Lose’ Vow Was the Tipping Point
So what changed her mind? Calls with Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase definitely helped, but it was a chat with team owner Joe Lacob that sealed the deal. “Mr. Joe definitely was the tipping point for me coming to Golden State,” Williams revealed. Imagine this: Williams is in Turkey, probably stuck in traffic, and Lacob calls her up. And what does he say? “I never lose. I never lose.” Gabby, coming off her departure from the Seattle Storm and tired of “the same disappointing endings over and over again” in the WNBA, took him at his word. She knew, even if she didn’t know how, that this team was going to take her where she wanted to go. And boom, prophetic words. Lacob’s confidence came true. The Valkyries looked shaky in the Finals, even falling behind 2-1 and then facing a halftime deficit in Game 7 at home in San Francisco. But Gabby led them back. She delivered Golden State its fifth NBA/WNBA championship since 2015, capping off the best year of her career. That’s a story for the ages, seriously.
So yeah, Gabby Williams got her ring, the Valkyries got their first WNBA title, and Joe Lacob proved he knows how to back up his promises. What an unbelievable journey for a player who just wanted a championship, and for a team that made history in the first-ever Finals series to go seven games. It was a hell of a ride, and I’m still buzzing from it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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