The Golden State Valkyries went all in on Gabby Williams this offseason, giving her a max contract and asking her to be the face of a franchise still finding its footing. So far? She’s delivered beyond what even the most optimistic front office projection might have looked like.
Williams was named a starter for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, the league announced Tuesday. It’s her second All-Star nod overall — she made it as a reserve last year with Seattle — but it’s the first time a Golden State player has been voted into the starting lineup. Teammate Kayla Thornton was a reserve in the Valkyries’ inaugural season, so Williams becomes the second All-Star in franchise history but the first to start.
The voting breakdown is standard: fans accounted for half the weight, with current players and a media panel splitting the other half. Four guards and six frontcourt players made the cut as starters.
Williams is putting up a career-high 15.8 points per game this season, and she’s shooting 35.3 percent from three — also a personal best. She leads the Valkyries in steals at 1.5 per game, putting her in a small group of just five WNBA players who are averaging at least 15 points and 1.5 steals. That kind of two-way production is exactly what Golden State was banking on when they signed her.
The Valkyries are 13-7 through 20 games, good for the third-best record in the league. And Williams has been the engine. She’s the team’s go-to scorer, their primary perimeter defender, and the player who sets the tone on both ends.
“What did I say on day one? I said she’s one of the best players in the world,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said after a pair of wins over Atlanta last week. “She’s our star. She’s definitely an All-Star. But I think she’s obviously 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.”
Why Golden State mattered as much as the All-Star nod
For Williams, this wasn’t just about landing in a good situation. It was about finding the right one. She said during training camp that the Valkyries were the only team she was willing to sign a three-year deal with, because she sees something sustainable here.
“This was the only team that I was willing to sign three years with, because I really believe in the future here,” Williams said. “I think that the team and the organization is built for longevity, and that’s really important for me in this stage of my career.”
Golden State was hunting for a star-level talent to accelerate their championship timeline, and Williams was looking for a place where she could build something real. It’s a rare alignment in modern sports, where egos and max contracts often clash. But so far, this partnership looks like it’s working exactly the way both sides drew it up.
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