Gabby Williams helped the Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 78-75 after a rocky start in the second of two matchups in three days, then made her feelings clear after the buzzer as Pride Night energy swirled around the WNBA’s All-Star conversation.
Gabby Williams didn’t wait for the crowd to tell her what mattered.
On Pride Night, she couldn’t afford a stumble.
The Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream met Friday for the second time in three days. and Golden State made a loud statement to the rest of the WNBA by beating the highly-ranked Dream twice in a row. Williams struggled early in the second game. but in the fourth quarter she flipped the script—helping the home team close it out 78-75.
Williams’ night was the kind that answers a question people in the league had been asking since she signed with Golden State: whether she could lead offensively.
She’s been widely known for defense. including multiple All-Defensive Teams and being named EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year twice in a row. But this season. in the very early tally points of a campaign that runs through fan voting and national attention. she has also shown she can drive a scoring run. Through 19 games, Williams is averaging 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in 26.5 minutes per game. Against Atlanta on Friday, 13 of her 16 points came in the fourth quarter, and she didn’t miss a shot.
The timing mattered, too. Her performance landed 24 hours before All-Star fan voting ended. As of June 24th. the Valkyries star was eighth in fan voting—behind Caitlin Clark. Angel Reese. A’ja Wilson. and Paige Bueckers. With one final home stand moment and a clutch shooting display. Williams moved as if she wanted to remove any lingering doubt from the ballots.
Coach Nakase framed it as something Golden State had seen coming, and something the team was simply now giving a larger stage.
After the game. Nakase said: “[Williams is] one of the best two-way players in the world…We’re just providing the stage for what we already knew…She’s definitely an All-Star. but she’s going to give credit to her teammates. because that’s who she is. She’s the most humble star I think I’ve ever coached before, and that’s what makes her shine even more.”.
The fourth quarter wasn’t just a turnaround—it was a concentrated reminder of what she brings when the game narrows and mistakes get punished. Williams sat for most of the third quarter and began the second game struggling, then returned ready to impact immediately. It felt like the Dream would have to pry a win out of her dead hands. and she wasn’t ready to let them.
She drove to the basket with ease, made 4/4 of her field goals and drew fouls. Even with three missed free throws in the clutch. she did what she could to keep Golden State in control of the scoreboard. She also added a steal and forced another turnover that helped seal the game against one of the toughest opponents in the W.
Off the court, Williams matched the intensity of her shot-making with the clarity of her message.
After the final buzzer sounded, she faced the camera and yelled, “For the gays!” The moment echoed Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve’s Pride Night sentiments after the Lynx lost to the Washington Mystics on Pride Night.
In the post-game presser, Williams kept the focus on the community and the moment.
“I take Pride Night personal,” she said. “The Bay Area has historically been a pioneer for the Pride movement, so I just wanted to get it [done] for the Bay.”
Her leadership shows up in basketball relationships as well. and she made sure to point that out earlier in the week. After the first game against the Dream on Wednesday, Williams spoke highly of her point guard Veronica Burton. Williams said she wants “to make sure she knows she’s never alone” because she knows how hard it can be to think of your teammates before yourself—the way Burton often does.
It’s the kind of pairing that can change how a player is perceived. Williams has always been great, but Golden State keeps backing it up with results.
The Valkyries now sit at third in the WNBA standings. tied with the Dream and New York Liberty in record. though Golden State has beaten both teams head-to-head. The franchise has historically struggled against top-ranked teams like the Las Vegas Aces and Lynx. and this stretch offers a different story—proof that they can compete with the best of the best.
Williams made her goal clear when she signed with Golden State: she wanted to win. Coach Nakase already proved the Valkyries could exceed expectations by making the playoffs in the team’s first ever season in the W. With Williams playing like a centerpiece and Burton taking the offensive leap she did last year. Golden State’s postseason expectations look less like hope and more like a baseline.
On Sunday, the schedule turns to the Liberty, and the stakes don’t shrink. Another win—or another Williams performance in the kind of moments that define a season—could carry through to whatever comes next.
Only time will tell, but Friday’s message was unmistakable: Gabby Williams didn’t just show up for Pride Night. She answered it.
Gabby Williams Golden State Valkyries Atlanta Dream Pride Night WNBA All-Star fan voting Veronica Burton Coach Nakase Cheryl Reeve
So she basically guarantees an All-Star spot now right?
I only caught the headline but Pride Night?? If she scored like that she should’ve been higher than Reese already, idk how the voting works anymore.
Wait wasn’t Gabby Williams like a defensive only player though? They make it sound like she went 4th quarter MVP mode and “didn’t miss” like… okay, but sample size is still 19 games. Also fan voting ended June 24? feels random.
Pride Night and All-Star talk always gets weird to me. Like if she was 8th in fan voting behind Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, then beating Atlanta twice in three days suddenly moves the needle? Seems like politics more than basketball. Also Golden State sounds like Warriors but it’s not, so I was confused reading this lol.