The Golden State Valkyries are about to look a whole lot different for their final game before the 17-day break for the FIBA World Cup. The Valkyries have had a universally impressive second season as a franchise, with a 28-11 record, currently second in the league standings. But now, as they play the Portland Fire on August 30, three of their most important forwards are temporarily stepping away from the team, including 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 Valkys trio are off to represent their respective countries at the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup,” the post added.

Importantly, this is not a release from 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 country’s respective 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 and then-career high of 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.

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, when 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 the team prepares for a game without some of their most important players, only time will tell how deep a run France and Italy can make in this World Cup.