Fresh off a historic Game 7 masterpiece that secured the Golden State Valkyries’ first WNBA championship, Finals MVP Gabby Williams received the ultimate stamp of validation from basketball royalty. Speaking to reporters during the Valkyries’ post-championship press conference on Monday, Williams revealed that 6x NBA champion and global icon Michael Jordan reached out directly to congratulate her following her spectacular performance against the Atlanta Dream.
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“Michael Jordan texted me this morning. That was cool,” Williams shared, deservedly drawing audible gasps and a “Whoa” from the media room for the flex it is.
ESPN’s Kendra Andrews later shared on X that she asked Williams about Jordan’s exact text exchange. When asked about the exact text exchange, Williams revealed that His Airness sent a direct, two-word command: “Stay hungry.”
She responded, “I’ve never been hungrier.” Mic drop right there.
For Williams, who signed an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand in 2023 and rocked the Air Jordan 41s in the postseason, receiving that directive from the Black Cat himself served as a surreal yet fitting milestone. However, the 30-year-old forward emphasized that personal hype and celebrity praise take a back seat to the genuine respect from within the basketball community.
“Like I said before Game 1, thank you all for being here, but it’s never been all the media praise that I’m searching for,” Williams explained. “It’s always been just respect from my colleagues and teammates. I think having so many past teammates who have genuinely followed my career trajectory reach out to me—that meant a lot to me.”
Williams is one of the elites who has Player Exclusive colorways of Jordan Brand sneakers and has worn rare PEs in her career. She recently revealed that the Jordan Brand has taken really good care of her since signing her.
“Jordan, between any other brand I’ve ever been with, they send us these elite packages every month, so you have what’s coming out,” she revealed when the Valkyries had secured their Finals berth. “They always keep us looking nice, for sure.”
With the Valkyries heading into their maiden Finals series in just their second year of existence, Williams was committed to rep the Jumpman legacy well.
The text from Jordan came on the heels of one of the most dominant single-game performances in WNBA Finals history. She was signed by the expansion franchise ahead of its second season back in April. Seven months later, in a grueling, winner-take-all Game 7 against the Atlanta Dream, Williams willed the Valkyries to a 68–63 victory, scoring 28 of her game-high 30 points in an explosive second-half surge.
Williams’ stat line was a masterclass in two-way brilliance, adding three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and four emphatic blocks to her scoring output. Her defining moment came with 2:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, when she buried a 31-foot heat-check three-pointer to break a 57-all tie and push Golden State ahead for good.
With that 30-point eruption, Williams became only the second player in WNBA history to score 30 or more points in a winner-take-all WNBA Finals game, joining Phoenix Mercury legend Penny Taylor, who accomplished the feat back in 2007. Over the course of the seven-game series, Williams averaged 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 2.7 assists, earning well-deserved WNBA Finals MVP honors.
The championship caps a remarkable trajectory for both Williams and the Valkyries. Joining Golden State as a marquee free agent after leaving the Seattle Storm, the former UConn standout immediately established herself as the team’s defensive anchor and emotional engine.
Her year was filled with near-misses and heartbreak, including losing DPOY to Atlanta’s Angel Reese and a heartbreaking loss with Team France against Reese and Team USA in the FIBA Women’s World Cup gold medal game just five weeks before the Finals.
Yet, when the lights were brightest, Williams delivered a legacy-defining response. Delivering an NBA legend’s competitive standard to an expansion franchise in just its second year of existence, the Valkyries reached the summit way ahead of schedule. And with Jordan’s two-word advice echoing in her ear, Williams has made it clear that she and the Valkyries are nowhere near finished.