SAN FRANCISCO — Following their dominant win over the Phoenix Mercury in Sunday’s home opener, Valkyries’ forward Kayla Thornton was asked if she could name some of the little things Gabby Williams does well that helps Golden State.
Thornton had no shortage of words.
“Her size. Her length. She’s always disruptive,” Thornton said.
She took a pause and continued, “Her steals. Her offensive boards. Her defensive boards. All of that.”
After Williams’ performance on Sunday, Thornton’s assessment was less a compliment than a simple statement of fact. Some might say Thornton’s list was an undercount.
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) dribbles the ball against the Phoenix Mercury in the first quarter of their WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, May 10, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Williams finished the Valkyries’ 95-79 home-opening victory over the Mercury with 19 points on 53.8% shooting, five rebounds, three assists and four steals. A stat line that captured her knack for being everywhere at once. She buried 4-of-9 three-point attempts and turned four Mercury turnovers into nine points of her own, embodying every quality Thornton had described in real time.
Williams has been one of the WNBA’s most versatile defenders since arriving in the league, but Sunday’s performance offered a glimpse of how her impact extends well beyond the stat sheet.
After a rough opening night in Seattle, she was the connective tissue of a team that forced 17 turnovers, held Kahleah Copper to 4-of-15 shooting, and outscored Phoenix by 16. If this is what a breakout looks like for Williams, her teammates might be running out of words to describe it.
“It’s Gabby, she’s just amazing,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said. “We’re just so excited how much she’s sitting really well with us, and to just see her selflessness in the way she plays. It just fits perfectly.”
Much like Friday’s win over Seattle, Williams opened the game missing her first couple of shots. But the tide turned once she got going in the second quarter.
Her first bucket came early in the period when she found space at the top of the key and hit a wide open pull up 3-pointer to give Golden State its first lead of the game.
All it took was that one jumper for Williams to get going and the barrage of buckets followed.
A few made jumpers in the first half forced Phoenix to guard her tight in the third quarter. But that was no problem for the former Connecticut standout as she took the ball to the rim with ease, finishing over the Mercury’s all-league post Alyssa Thomas.
But one play encapsulated Williams’ impact the most on Sunday night.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 10: Gabby Williams #1 of the Golden State Valkyries shoots over Natasha Mack #4 of the Phoenix Mercury at Chase Center on May 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Early in the second quarter, with the Valkyries slowly building their lead, Williams found herself guarding Thomas, who had a full head of steam dribbling to the front of the rim. Williams cut off her path to the basket to which Thomas responded by spinning to right hand.
With teammate Laeticia Amihere coming down to help on Thomas, Williams could have easily stopped playing. Let Amihere deal with the consequences of Thomas’ athleticism at the rim and trotted back on offense.
But that’s not what Williams did.
The 5-foot-11 guard somehow got her hands on the ball as Thomas tried to dump a pass down to center Natasha Mack. She then pushed the ball up the floor to find a streaking Thornton down the left side of the court for a layup.
The crowd went nuts. Owner Joe Lacob gave a round of applause. And it was that play that defined the rest of the Valkyries night.
“Gabby can guard one through five. I think she does a great job with her physicality in the post, and she has these active, long hands that are dangerous,” Nakase said.” So what’s really cool about Gabby is don’t know when she’s gonna throw her hands out. That’s something that she has worked on I’m sure since she was small playing here in the Bay.”
When the game got tighter and the Valkyries needed her the most, Williams came through.
With Phoenix down just seven with under three minutes on the clock, Williams caught a pass from Burton and knocked down a crucial 3-pointer from the left wing. A few possessions later, Williams shut the door on the Mercury completely when she found space on the right wing and buried another 3-pointer that ignited the Chase Center crowd.
Last year, the Valkyries proved they could win without a star.
They were a collective. A team that outworked opponents, outschemed them, wore them down with depth and defensive energy. But there was a ceiling visible in the margins, a nagging question about whether Golden State could take the next step without a player who could take over a game on both ends when the moment demanded it.
The Valkyries proved plenty in Year 1 — wins, playoff potential, an engaged fan base — but they hadn’t fully answered a different question: Would elite players see them as a destination this early in their existence?
Williams answered it for them.
She led the entire WNBA in steals last season with 2.3 per game, earned All-Defensive First-Team honors, and made her first career All-Star team.
On Sunday, Williams showed she was the swiss-army-knife player that Golden State has been searching for. Nineteen points. Four steals. A chase-down strip of Alyssa Thomas that sent Chase Center into a frenzy. Clutch threes when Phoenix was threatening to claw back. She was, in every sense of the phrase, a two-way star.
Two games in, the fit looks exactly right. The Valkyries showed last year they could be something. On Sunday night, Williams showed what they can become.