{"id":912593,"date":"2026-11-10T17:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-11-10T17:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/912593\/"},"modified":"2026-11-10T17:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T17:08:17","slug":"gabby-williams-on-wnba-championships-marine-johannes-relationship-and-taking-control-of-her-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/912593\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabby Williams on WNBA Championships, Marine Johannes Relationship, and Taking Control of Her Career"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated15 min read<\/p>\n

At the end of the first half of Game 7 of the WNBA Finals, the Golden State Valkyries trailed the Atlanta Dream by six points. The Valkyries\u2019 star, Gabby Williams, one of the best two-way players in the league, had scored a mere two points. But when the teams returned to Ballhalla\u2014as Golden State\u2019s Chase Center arena in San Francisco is lovingly nicknamed\u2014for the second half, it was Williams\u2019s time to shine. She took over, going on a 15-point run, including back-to-back-to-back three-point shots that flipped her team\u2019s deficit into a narrow lead. By the time the buzzer sounded at the end of the game, Williams had 30 points and the Valkyries were WNBA champions.<\/p>\n

Before she won the title\u2014and was named Finals MVP\u2014Williams, who was raised in Nevada but spent her summers in the Bay Area, played basketball in college for the UConn Huskies, winning back-to-back national championships. She was drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2018, before joining the Seattle Storm in 2022 and the Valkyries in 2026. As a dual French-American citizen, she also plays for the French national team, including at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, where she led the team to bronze and silver medals, respectively.<\/p>\n

Just over a week after she became a champion, Williams came to New York City to make the media rounds before taking a much-needed and well-deserved spa day. Below, she reflects on coming to the Valkyries, her performance during Game 7, and what little Gabby would think of her now.<\/p>\n

I read that you played 12 playoff games this year alone, while in the first seven years of your career, you played in 12 playoff games total. Talk to me about the differences between this season and every other that came before it. <\/p>\n

It was the longest season I\u2019ve ever played, but it went by so fast. I felt like it flew by; it was just such a really fun group of people\u2014the staff, even the medical staff, the communication staff\u2014everyone was just always great energy. I didn\u2019t want it to end. Usually during playoffs, I am already playing overseas or on vacation, and watching the finals this year, I was like, \u201cDang, everyone else has gone and moved on and I\u2019m still in season,\u201d which was such a great feeling, obviously. But wow, it was long. And the longer it went on, the harder it was to sleep and eat with all the stress and stuff, but I still loved every moment of it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been said that the Valkyries don\u2019t have a star; you\u2019re all role players, and that dynamic is different from teams who rely more on one or two star players. I\u2019d love to hear more about that. <\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s just, how do you define a star? I just define stars as people who win, as people who aren\u2019t selfish, as good people, as good role models, as good teammates. So, I think we had 12 stars on the team, really. I know that\u2019s what made us different and everyone is going to try to copy us now. It\u2019s just about finding great people who want to win versus a superstar who wants accolades and stats. And then you win a championship.<\/p>\n

\"2026Thearon W. Henderson\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Williams holds her Finals MVP trophy as the Valkyries celebrate their WNBA championship win.<\/p>\n

Simple as that. Because of that, did you feel like, as a team, you went into the season with something to prove? <\/p>\n

We knew what we had from day one. I went to the Valkyries because I wanted to contend for a championship. That was my biggest thing in free agency\u2014I didn\u2019t want to go to a team that maybe I felt like wasn\u2019t going to try to win a championship or at least didn\u2019t have ambitions to. At the beginning of the season, obviously we\u2019re figuring things out, but we figured it out very quickly, and we could tell just the culture of the group was a good one, and that we had something special. So, we always knew we had what it took to win and that\u2019s all that we needed.<\/p>\n

Coming to the Valkyries is the first time you had control over your path. You\u2019ve said<\/a> you were chasing a ring, but what were some of the intangibles that drew you to the team? <\/p>\n

I wanted to go somewhere where I wouldn\u2019t dread going to the gym every day. I think anyone, whether you play basketball or any sport, or any profession that you have, you just want to want to go to work every day\u2014that\u2019s a huge thing. I think you\u2019re able to perform better when you\u2019re in that mindset, and I knew that I would need that in order to win. So, that was one of the few questions I asked [Valkyries guard] Veronica Burton in my free agency. I was just like, \u201cHow did you feel showing up every day?\u201d Because everyone\u2019s going to say, \u201cOh, the team is great…\u201d But you can\u2019t lie about how the locker room is and the work environment. And she was like, \u201cEvery day was a blast, we have fun, and I genuinely enjoy coming in every day,\u201d and that was all I needed to hear.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve talked about how good the culture is on the Valkyries. How was that built?<\/p>\n

It started with Ohemaa [Nyanin], our general manager, and the selectiveness she uses in choosing not just players, but people. I remember that being a big thing when I was being recruited by UConn as well. They were like, \u201cYes, we\u2019re looking for great players, but we\u2019re looking for a certain type of kid too, because we have a culture here.\u201d I saw a similar thing with Ohemaa and what she wanted to build. It was also the first time that I played for a staff that didn\u2019t point fingers at each other. And as players, you follow their lead, so then players don\u2019t point fingers at one another either. Also, when we went on road trips for away games, they would go by so fast because we all would spend time together. Normally, you just want to sit in your hotel room all day alone and then go home, but we wanted to spend time with one another.<\/p>\n

\"WNBA:Icon Sportswire\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Williams has a moment during the championship parade.<\/p>\n

Tell me about the significance of playing for your hometown team. <\/p>\n

There wasn\u2019t even a team in the Bay when I was playing basketball when I was young. So it\u2019s one of those things where people ask you what your biggest dream is and you say it\u2019s to win a championship, but you can\u2019t even imagine that it\u2019s going to be in your hometown, or in the team\u2019s second year, or your first year there. I couldn\u2019t even dream that big. So that was a really cool moment. I\u2019ve been watching the Warriors win since I was a kid, and having the female version of that now, and knowing how big of a party it was in the Bay when the Warriors won, and being like, \u201cNow I get to do that?\u201d That\u2019s so crazy.<\/p>\n

It must be such a trip driving around town seeing your face on billboards.<\/p>\n

It never gets old.<\/p>\n

Some have joked that you taking off your silver medal as you walked off the court after France lost to the U.S. at the FIBA Women\u2019s Basketball World Cup this year was your \u201cvillain origin story.\u201d Did that loss make you hungrier to win a WNBA championship?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, I understand the story that everyone wants to create, so I\u2019m not mad at it that people go that route. But I think that was the American storyline. I noticed the American media and fans were really stuck on [France losing to the U.S.] at the Olympics and FIBA. I\u2019m like, I\u2019ve always been hungry for a W championship; I didn\u2019t have to get two silvers to want that. And then all of the European media was like, \u201cShe won Euro league. She won the silver medal. Can she cap it off with the WNBA championship?\u201d So, it was weird seeing these two very different ways of storytelling. Either way, I didn\u2019t need any more motivation to try to win a WNBA championship.<\/p>\n

And of course, winning the silver medal is still a very big deal that I\u2019m sure you appreciated later after the sting of defeat wore off. <\/p>\n

We were all sad at first. I remember the whole group was really sad when we lost just because we loved each other so much and we had a really good group. But then shortly after that night, we were like, \u201cOh, we just got the first silver medal in France\u2019s history.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WNBA:Icon Sportswire\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase and Williams at the post-game press conference.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about Game 7. There was a moment in the second half where I saw the switch flip in you, and after that you were unstoppable. Where does that drive come from? <\/p>\n

I learned this phrase from Coach [Geno] Auriemma [at UConn]. He\u2019s like, \u201cYou see the best athletes when they don\u2019t have a choice\u2014they perform at their best. That\u2019s when stars are created and big moments are created,\u201d and that\u2019s always stuck with me. I always have that playing in my head during those certain moments like, \u201cOkay, I don\u2019t have a choice. I just have to do it.\u201d I even said it to Nat [Nakase, the Valkyries head coach] the day before Game 7, and she didn\u2019t like it. She was like, \u201cOkay, we\u2019re going to switch your matchup. It\u2019s something you haven\u2019t done before; we\u2019re going to ask you to do this in the first half. Can you do it?\u201d And I was like, \u201cYeah, I\u2019m my best when I don\u2019t have a choice.\u201d And she was like, \u201cI don\u2019t like that.\u201d I was like, \u201cTrust me, trust me. I like these moments.\u201d I think now she gets it.<\/p>\n

What was going through your head in the second half? Were you even aware of what was happening?<\/p>\n

Yes and no. This game, more than any game I\u2019ve played in my entire career, I didn\u2019t really fully understand in the moment what I was doing until I went back and watched it. And I just watched the game for the first time two days ago. I\u2019d seen highlights before of course, but I hadn\u2019t watched it from start to finish. And watching it, I was like, whoa, I didn\u2019t even realize half of the stuff I did. Because it\u2019s such a high-pressure moment, and we\u2019re very big on every possession matters. I didn\u2019t even realize that my threes were back-to-back-to-back until I got home that night and saw it on Instagram. There was a point where I did feel the basket slowly start to feel bigger, but I wouldn\u2019t say I knew exactly in the moment what I was doing.<\/p>\n

When the buzzer sounded, what was the first thing you thought upon winning the title?<\/p>\n

I just couldn\u2019t wait to celebrate with my teammates. It\u2019s the moment you see on TV since you were a kid, where the whole team comes together and huddles and jumps and up and down on the court. I\u2019ve had those moments before overseas, but it just was different after a seven-game series. To finally have it, I just couldn\u2019t wait.<\/p>\n

\"2026Ezra Shaw\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The moment the Valkyries became WNBA champions.<\/p>\n

How did you feel when you were named Finals MVP? <\/p>\n

I just couldn\u2019t believe it. I mean, I didn\u2019t need MVP to feel as happy as I\u2019m feeling today. Even now I don\u2019t have the words for it. I was like, \u201cI\u2019m the one that gets to hold this trophy?\u201d I didn\u2019t even need it. This is enough. I\u2019m just feeling really lost for words and lucky.<\/p>\n

What would little Gabby think of all of this?<\/p>\n

Oh man, she would be so happy. I hope little Gabby would understand the environment that she\u2019s in is so loving. Just my village that I\u2019ve had all year\u2014I think she\u2019d be really happy to know that she has that. And then also just going into an environment every day where people are smiling and dancing and laughing, and then you get to cap it off with a championship in the community. Yeah, she\u2019d be really proud; she\u2019d think I was cool.<\/p>\n

How does it feel now that the season has come to an end, and you know you might not be this same team ever again? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s bittersweet because you just know you\u2019re living in a moment that you know will never, ever happen again as far as this exact group, this exact timing, etc. So, the only thing that we really wanted to do after we won, was just spend as much time together as we could. Because we were like, \u201cOh, Ceci [Cecilia \u201cCeci\u201d Zandalasini] is going overseas tomorrow; Ami [Aminata Gueye] has to go to the national team. So, it was just slowly saying goodbye to people. Everyone was like, \u201cWell, did you party? Did you go out and stuff?\u201d And I was like, \u201cOh, we just wanted to hang out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is there anything you wish you knew when you were starting out in the league? <\/p>\n

I wish I would\u2019ve fought for myself a lot earlier than I did. I think I settled a lot. I was talking to Auriemma at UConn yesterday. I woke him up from his nap by accident. But he said something that really resonated with me. He was like, \u201cI see people who have the same rough start to their career, and they kind of just end up blaming it on the coach or someone else and not living up to their full potential.\u201d And he was like, \u201cI\u2019m so happy that you didn\u2019t end up being that story.\u201d He was like, \u201cI\u2019m so proud of you for taking control of your own story and making it what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

You felt back then like you didn\u2019t have ownership of your career?<\/p>\n

Yeah, I think I was content being whatever they wanted me to be. They would call me the Swiss Army Knife, like, \u201cWhatever you need.\u201d I think I was a bit too complacent in that role in the W. I think it\u2019s just my mindset: What does the team need? I always put the team first. But that means I didn\u2019t fight for myself to have more responsibility or speak up more and understand that my voice does have the power it does. And that\u2019s also why I wanted to go to Golden State because that was something like, Ohemaa talked me into free agency. She\u2019s like, \u201cI want to push you in being a leader. I want to push you on and off the court into being more vocal.\u201d So, I\u2019m glad I learned it now.<\/p>\n

\"2026San Francisco Chronicle\/Hearst Newspapers\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Gabby Williams on the court.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve said you don\u2019t really feel comfortable in the spotlight. Has that changed with all of this attention? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s still hard. I\u2019m very uncomfortable with it and I do like my privacy. But at the same time, the best part has been being able to tell the story about this team this year. Even Tip [Tiffany Hayes] and I were a little tipsy at the UConn game yesterday; we were like, \u201cThey should make a movie about us.\u201d Just because of the characters in it. That\u2019s been the most fun, getting to talk about it, telling people what Kaitlyn [Chen] showing up to the final game in a hot dog costume was like, what being in our locker room is like. Seeing KT [Kayla Thornton]\u2019s personality become more public; knowing Kiah [Stokes]\u2019s story too, and seeing her finally getting her flowers as the winner that she has been for years. It\u2019s been so cool to get to brag about all of them.<\/p>\n

Joe [Lacob, the owner of the Valkyries] called you the best player in the world after Game 1 of the semifinals. How does it feel to have more respect now after being overlooked in the past? <\/p>\n

When he said that, I got really scared at first. But then at the same time, I was like, \u201cAlright, you\u2019re asking me to step up to the plate too.\u201d It gave me motivation because I was like, this man really believes in me, wholeheartedly, for him to go to the media and say that and put his reputation on the line. So, it gave me confidence, it gave me joy of just like, \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m in an organization that thinks so highly of me.\u201d Because I\u2019ve never asked for him to say things like that. So, the fact that he did means a lot. It felt great to be appreciated.<\/p>\n

When the attention shifts to next year, what do you hope people remember about this season and the Valkyries?<\/p>\n

Just how much fun it was for everybody\u2014that\u2019s what sports are made for. We get lost in the competing for trophies and we forget the moments we create. Ballhalla [where the Valkyries play] was such an experience for everyone who lived it this year. I read there was like 20,000 people outside of the arena during Game 7 in addition to the 18,000 inside screaming their heads off. I hope that\u2019s what people remember. Because that\u2019s also what the Bay Area is about, and that\u2019s what it\u2019s like to win in the Bay. I\u2019m saying that as a fan. So, I hope the party just doesn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

What are you looking forward to next year?<\/p>\n

More of the same. I\u2019m happy to have signed on for three years, knowing the ambition and the motivation from everyone there. And Nat is already talking about what needs to be done for next year.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been cool being a part of a trailblazing franchise\u2014that\u2019s been the best part. We just want to continue to make history. That\u2019s also what\u2019s fun about an expansion team\u2014everything is a first. I think we have a lot more firsts ahead of us.<\/p>\n

\"2026Heather Diehl\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Williams and her partner, Marine Johannes of the New York Liberty.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve said your partner, Marine Johannes of the New York Liberty, was super supportive of you throughout the playoffs. How do you two support each other all season, especially when you go from teammates to competitors, and how did she show up for you during the finals?<\/p>\n

Competing against each other is easy because it\u2019s just work; it\u2019s a job. And I know her style really well, so that helps. [Laughs.] During the finals, it was so nice because she gets it. She knows, \u201cOkay, today is the day where Gabby\u2019s going to need to think about something else.\u201d And then, \u201cToday\u2019s a day where Gabby may want to hear my opinion on some things, or she might want to talk it out.\u201d Or \u201cOkay, she doesn\u2019t want to talk it out.\u201d And not taking anything personally, like, \u201cOkay, if Gabby just wants to be quiet and watch a movie today, I know why.\u201d So, it\u2019s very helpful having someone who\u2019s in the same environment as you. Also, the night before the biggest game of your life, and you\u2019re playing everything over in your head a million times, having a million thoughts, just being able to go to a dinner and laugh, and think about something else for two hours of your day, it makes a huge difference. Then, you come back refreshed the next morning, your brain is clear, your mind is ready to take on the next challenge because you\u2019ve been able to compartmentalize. Because when you\u2019re by yourself and the thoughts are just going and going and going, and it can be miserable.<\/p>\n

I guess it\u2019s good the Liberty didn\u2019t make it further so she could support you. [Frowns]<\/p>\n

Playing each other in the final would have been cool too, though. The matchup would have benefited us too. [Laughs.]<\/p>\n

Are you aware of how much the internet loves your relationship? What do you think of the love you two get online? <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a tough balance because I understand the importance of having queer representation, and what that means to people. But obviously we\u2019re very, very private, so it\u2019s pretty daunting having, I don\u2019t know, all of the parasocialness and people thinking they know you or your relationship and hearing opinions about it. So, we try to protect our relationship as much as we can, but at the same time, I understand how important it can be for girls and women looking up to us. So there\u2019s give and take. We try to stay as private as we can, but at the same time, we\u2019re not going to hide who we are.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry, I just have to ask because it is staring me in the face: Is that a wedding band you are wearing? <\/p>\n

No comment.<\/p>\n

I know you\u2019re a big tattoo person. Do you have plans to get a new one to commemorate the finals? <\/p>\n

It was funny because there was a time in the season where my teammates all found out that I had a tattoo machine and they were like, \u201cOh, if we win, let\u2019s do this.\u201d And then we won and everything just happened so fast that we didn\u2019t have time [for me to tattoo everyone]. We talked about doing it one night, and I was like, \u201cGuys, I can\u2019t tonight, I\u2019m exhausted.\u201d But if it happens eventually, I\u2019ll definitely say yes to it.<\/p>\n

You started working with a stylist, Mariah Keopple, this season. What was your favorite look? <\/p>\n

She actually came over to help me get ready for this interview and we were just talking about our favorite looks. We loved the tie one. My stylist was a seamstress and designer before this; I\u2019m the first person she\u2019s ever styled. But she\u2019s really an amazing seamstress, and she made an entire top out of ties. And we were like, that was the best one. And then she made me another one out of zippers that I\u2019m excited to wear. It\u2019s literally a corset made out of zippers. She\u2019s so creative.<\/p>\n

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"15 min read At the end of the first half of Game 7 of the WNBA Finals, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":912594,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[1240,381340,874,265529,873,381342,381339,316394,99,381341,434],"class_list":["post-912593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-wnba","tag-content-type-feature","tag-contentid-2b3daf46-bf39-4738-84d3-04a2333a8add","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-read_time-17","tag-shorttitle-gabby-williams-on-becoming-a-wnba-champion","tag-sponsored-false","tag-sports","tag-subsection-news-politics","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=912593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912593\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/912594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=912593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=912593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=912593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}