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.

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’s emphasis on the Valkyries being a “TEAM” makes sense, as Nakase’s side doesn’t rely on any one star to carry them, not even Gabby Williams. Instead, their collective effort has been one of the key factors behind their second-place finish in the regular-season standings.

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

“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.”

Gabby Williams makes feelings known towards fans 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. And she believes that thanks to their historic second season, the team will attract more results-driven fans after the team received limited attention.

“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. With only eight points under her belt facing overtime, Williams flipped the script. She registered eight points again and hit all four shots from the charity stripe. The highlight of her 16-point, 3-assist, and 3-steal performance also came in overtime, as Williams hit an 18-foot step-back jump shot in overtime with 54.7 seconds left that ultimately put a dent in the Aces’ title defense, putting the Valks ahead 81-73.

This must have been a sweet victory for Gabby Williams. To say the Aces had been her kryptonite would be an understatement, as they repeatedly proved to be a difficult postseason opponent for Williams, eliminating her Seattle Storm team in both 2022 and 2024. 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 bringing out her best form against the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals, a team 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 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, 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 she wishes to stay with the Aces, considering how she was drafted here. And even now, 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 there is still no concrete answer yet, five-time MVP Wilson was asked whether she is using any of her influence to keep Young with the Aces.

“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.