Yagya Bhargava · Basketball Network Mon, November 9, 2026 at 5:20 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gabby Williams had to make do with a silver medal with Team France at the FIBA Women's World Cup in September. But less than two months later, she was celebrating something she had waited eight seasons for – winning a WNBA title.
Gabby played a major role in the Golden State Valkyries' first championship, helping them beat Angel Reese's Atlanta Dream 68-63 in Game 7 of the Finals. She had 30 points, three rebounds, two steals, four blocks and two assists in the decider, with 28 of those points coming after halftime.
Williams was even named the Finals MVP, finishing the season in style after averaging a career-best 14.4 points and coming second-best in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. But getting over the hump has taken a little longer for the French forward, who didn't shy away from sharing her frustration after settling for the silver medal at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin.
Speaking on the "Bird's Eye View" podcast with Sue Bird, Gabby opened up about the emotions she experienced after the World Cup loss and how she motivated herself to lift the WNBA championship trophy.
France reached the final for the first time in its history, and went unbeaten on its way there, but Team USA pulled away after halftime to win 97-79. The 30-year-old forward did her part throughout the tournament, averaging 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists across six games.
"I was upset after the game and quickly happy after in Berlin. I was sad in Berlin because I love the group that we have… there's more disappointment, but then you're competitive. After that, I was like, Da-n! 'I just got the first silver medal in modern basketball history for France. I still love that moment, like it's a medal won, not a medal lost," Gabby explained .
"It turned into, like, 'Won EuroLeague, silver medal with France, I have to cap it off,'" the Valkyries' star added. "It's been a great year, and I just wanted to cap it off with the perfect moment with the perfect group. So, that was my motivation. It was just like, keep the party going."
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Gabby has plenty of reasons to value the Valkyries' WNBA title after a career marked by multiple suspensions, a trade, injuries, and several seasons of early playoff exits. But she made it a point to end the 2026 playoff run differently after falling short in September.
The Valkyries star didn't have the easiest start to the Finals, as she shot under 30 percent in both Games 2 and 3, while also dealing with the pain caused by a collision with Jordin Canada in Game 1. She gathered her teammates after the Game 3 loss and admitted she needed to change how she was leading them.
She wanted to find her rhythm, and the patience that head coach Natalie Nakase showed Gabby paid off.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: Sports
