Nothing screams dominance more than entering the WNBA Finals in just the second season of your existence in the league, and that too by sweeping the reigning champions 3-0 in the semifinals. From having the highest franchise valuation in women’s sports history and the highest attendance record in the W to becoming one of the most prolific and balanced teams in the league, the Golden State Valkyries are marking a special era in record time.

But perhaps their most impressive win this season was indeed the series sweep against the Las Vegas Aces, which went down to the wire as Game 3 went to overtime. However, Gabby Williams and co. once again pulled it off against five-time MVP A’ja Wilson’s side, as we look at what went down on Friday night at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Aces HC Becky Hammon offers her praise to the Valkyries

You know you have done something right when a three-time championship-winning head coach tips her hat to you. Especially Becky Hammon, someone who does not offer empty or unearned praise. Following the Valkyries’ 87-77 overtime victory over her team, Hammon appreciated the culture the Valkyries have built under her former assistant coach, Natalie Nakase.

“That is a TEAM, and I think they really play great team ball, you know? On any given night, any of them can have 15, 20 on you because they share the ball, and…it seems like nobody cares who gets the credit. And that’s a really special thing to have on a team, and I think Golden State has that.” Hammon said about the Valkyries, per a video on the Aces’ YouTube channel.

Hammon emphasizing the Valkyries being a “TEAM” makes sense, as there is no particular star that the Valkyries put all their hopes in, even counting France’s Gabby Williams. It is one of the main reasons why Nakase’s side finished second in the regular-season standings.

The Valkyries’ tight-knit, selfless team culture was also recently highlighted by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.

“I think something that is so hard about Golden State is that they truly all know their role, and they f***ing dominate their role,” Cunningham said about the Valkyries’ attitude on the No Hesitation podcast.

“They know it, and they stay in it…They had four All-Star appearances amongst their whole team, combined. That’s insane, but they all work hard, and they all don’t care about the awards. Their egos are not in the way. All they want to do is win. And that’s why they’ve been on top of the W all year round. So I’m not surprised by this.”

Compare the Valkyries’ team-first culture to the likes of the Aces or the Fever, where the attention is all around A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark and the outside noise their fanbases bring; head coach Nakase’s side quietly became one of the favorites to win it all this season, and they are just one series win away from making it all come true.

Gabby Williams makes feelings towards fans known after viral OT play

As a child, Gabby Williams spent her springs and summers in the San Francisco Bay Area, playing basketball on local courts. It seems like destiny that the 30-year-old found her way back to the Bay Area and reached the WNBA Finals just in her first season with the Valkyries.

But while Williams has a backstory and family ties in the Bay Area, she feels the Valkyries will add some results-driven fans following this season, considering how, according to her, the team did not receive much attention even after a historic second season.

“We bout to have some bandwagoners because we ain’t getting no love all season. Honestly, nobody believed on us, but it honestly made us smile because we were like, all we need is each other. We just need to believe in each other.” Williams told reporters after the game.

“We know we weren’t a team that was talked about, but just the culture, going to work every day. We just felt that we had something worth fighting for… We’re going into finals. We’re just going in with the same mentality – staying together, staying unselfish.”

Regardless, Gabby Williams was locked in for Game 3. Well, at least during overtime. This is because during regulation, Williams scored just 4-of-14 from the field and missed all four of her shots from outside the arc, a rather slow night for her standards.

But with only eight points under her belt facing overtime, Williams flipped the script. She registered eight points again, including hitting all four shots from the charity stripe. The highlight of her 16-point, 3-assist, and 3-block performance also came in overtime, with just under a minute left on the clock.

The Valkyries had a comfortable six-point lead by then. But Williams was not one to stop fighting, as she caught a handoff pass from forward Ashton Prechtell while running to the top of the paint. She then rose from the spot to knock down the shot, all while Dana Evans was contesting her. Williams was successful in extending the Valkyries’ lead in OT, which was now 82-73. 

This must have been a sweet victory for Gabby Williams. To say the Aces have been her kryptonite would be an understatement. In the past three seasons, Hammon’s side has been the one to knock Williams out. Moreover, the Aces’ core of A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray helped Team USA beat France in the Paris 2024 Olympics final, as Gabby Williams had to settle for the silver medal even after recording a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds.

But this time, with the Valkyries, Williams was ready. The 30-year-old forward contributed 25, 20, and 16 points in three victories to topple the reigning champions for good.

Safe to say, Williams will be looking forward to producing her best performance and plays against the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals, a team that they swept 3-0 in the regular season.

What’s next for Jackie Young after semifinal loss?

Jackie Young is one of Becky Hammon’s key centerpieces after five-time MVP A’ja Wilson. But with the Aces exiting the playoffs, Young will now be an unrestricted free agent this offseason because she only signed a one-year, $1.19 million contract back in April. She was actually the first player in WNBA history to sign a seven-figure contract.

Regardless, while the five-time All-Star will obviously attract a lot of interest in the coming offseason, we need to realize that Young has spent her whole WNBA career with the Aces after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2019 out of Notre Dame.

During the Aces’ training camp back in April, Young admitted that her mindset is to always stay with the Aces, considering how she was drafted here. Taking into account her words back in September, the Aces guard seems more interested in keeping herself fit during the offseason than in any free agency talks.

“I spend a lot of time in the gym in the offseason just trying to get my body right so that I’m able to play at a high level during the season. At the same time, I spend a lot of time in the offseason just working on my game.” Young said after scoring a career-high 35 points against the Seattle Storm in September.

While Young is yet to address her situation, five-time MVP Wilson was asked whether she is using any of her influence on Young to keep her at the Aces while also giving her space to think about her future and priorities.

“Jackie’s a big girl. She’s an adult. I’m constantly in Jackie’s ear, but I know when it’s time to… when she needs that big sister. So, going into this offseason, I’m just going to be me. I’m not going to change too much, because that’s not what Jackie needs. She just needs someone that’s going to be constant, and I hope I can do that.” Wilson said following the Game 3 loss against the Valkyries.

Jackie Young once again went all out this season, averaging 18.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 48.8% field goal efficiency. She was also one of the best players for Team USA in the FIBA Women’s World Cup and won Player of the Game in the final against France after changing the game with her three-point shooting.

Retaining Young will always be a win-win situation for the Aces, be it due to her individual performance or her chemistry with the rest of the Big 3. But for now, only time will tell if Jackie Young would like to continue or choose another path, as she is about to enter her 30s next year.