The Golden State Valkyries have been one of the WNBA’s biggest surprises this season, sitting second in the standings with a 28-11 record. But their impressive run will face a temporary setback on August 30. Natalie Nakase’s side will be without three important forwards against the Portland Fire, including All-Star Gabby Williams.

In a post from @AllThingsWNBA on X, it was reported that the Valkyries have “temporarily suspended the contracts” of forwards Gabby Williams, Janelle Salaün, and Cecilia Zandalasini.

“The Valkyries trio are off to represent their respective countries at the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup,” the post added.

Importantly, this does not mean the trio has been released by the team. It only exempts them from the team’s game on August 30 against the Fire, as they fly to Berlin to join their respective national teams to prepare for the tournament and play in the FIBA World Cup. The tournament is set to take place between September 4 and 13, and the team’s first game after the break will be a rematch against the Fire on September 18.

Williams is clearly the biggest loss for the Valkyries, as she will be heading to France to play for their national team. The forward has become an important piece in head coach Natalie Nakase’s system after joining the team this past offseason following a solid tenure with the Seattle Storm, where she averaged a then-career-high 11.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. She told ESPN that her decision to join the team was motivated by a winning culture.

“Even though this is a newer team, I feel the competitiveness and the want to win…,” she had said on April 25, 2026. “The next thing for me was the culture off of the court … from the outside, seeing what it looks like to be in this team was something I really, really need right now.”

Williams has had a career year with Golden State and is averaging 14.3 points, a new career high, while also making a leap as a three-point shooter and adding 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 steals on the way to her second All-Star appearance. Now, she trades her Valkyries jersey for the French national team’s.

Joining her with the French team is Janelle Salaun, who has continued developing as a valuable contributor off the bench for the Valkyries. In fact, Salaun is the team’s second-leading scorer despite not having started a single game, showcasing outstanding scoring ability in limited minutes during her sophomore season.

She averages 12.9 points and 3.9 rebounds on 42.5% from the field and 39.7% from three, and has improved upon nearly every stat from her rookie season.

For France in particular, having two players incredibly familiar with each other from playing on the same WNBA team provides a level of comfort and security.

Then, there’s Italian forward Cecilia Zandalasini, who, despite not being as prolific a scorer as Williams or Salaun, brings her own value to the Valkyries. The veteran sharpshooter, who joined the team last season from free agency, has become a major perimeter weapon.

She has started a majority of the games she has played (32 out of 35), averaging 8.8 points as the team’s fourth-highest scorer despite having a down year efficiency-wise. Zandalasini showed just how valuable she can be in the Valkyries’ latest win over the New York Liberty, leading all scorers with 20 points and five rebounds in the 79-60 victory.

But scoring is only part of what makes this trio so valuable to Golden State.

Their absence could also leave a noticeable void in the defensive unit that has become the Valkyries’ biggest weapon. As Madisyn Cunningham of High Post Hoops highlighted, “Valkatraz” (the nickname given to the Golden State defense) boasts a league-best 99.9 defensive rating, a remarkable 3.5 points better than the Minnesota Lynx. The Valkyries are also allowing just 75.6 points per game, the best mark in the league.

Natalie Nakase’s side have already held the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, Washington Mystics and Los Angeles Sparks to their respective season-low scoring totals. Some of the league’s biggest stars have also struggled to find any rhythm against them.

Olivia Miles scored only eight points against the Valkyries earlier this week, shooting just 25% from the floor and 20% from three. It was only the second time this season that the MVP candidate had scored fewer than 10 points. And speaking of MVP candidates, the Valkyries also held Caitlin Clark to just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting earlier this season.

With their impact on the Valkyries established, the trio now shifts its focus from Golden State to the international stage. Williams, Salaun and Zandalasini are heading into the World Cup with plenty of international experience of their own. All three have represented their countries before and will now have another opportunity to make an impact as they take on the world’s best in Berlin.

Valkyries Trio Bring International Pedigree to 2026 FIBA World Cup

Williams already has significant international experience playing ball, having helped France reach the finals during the 2024 Olympics, when they lost to the United States. Williams was the leading scorer on that squad, averaging 15.5 points per game on stellar efficiency and 2.8 steals to go with it.

Salaun has also been solid for the French team, making a name for herself at the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Lyon-Villeurbanne, where she shot an astounding 79.2% from the field and averaged 16.7 points per game to help her team qualify.

Zandalasini, meanwhile, has spent a significant portion of her career away from the WNBA. After being signed by the Minnesota Lynx in 2017, she played with the team for two seasons. In 2018, she returned to play in Europe for Turkish women’s basketball club Fenerbahce, and eventually for Italian women’s basketball club Virtus Bologna. She came back stateside in 2023, playing a year for the Lynx before joining the Valkyries.

Zandalasini joins the Italian squad looking to make a splash in the international circuit. According to ranking data on FIBA’s website from April 1, Italy ranks 14th, while France is all the way up at 2nd, only behind the United States.

Now, as Williams, Salaun and Zandalasini prepare to take the international stage, the question is how far France and Italy can go in this year’s World Cup. For Golden State, the hope will be that all three return healthy and ready to resume the Valkyries’ championship push.