Gabby Williams shoots Golden State Valkyries into WNBA Finals with 16 points

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Gabby Williams shoots Golden State Valkyries into WNBA Finals with 16 points.

The Golden State Valkyries are in the WNBA Finals – and Frenchwoman Gabby Williams is once again the defining figure. With 16 points, the captain of the French national team led her squad on Friday night (local time) to an 87-77 overtime win at the Las Vegas Aces, clinching the semifinal series early at 3-0.

Both sources – L'Équipe and Ouest-France – report matching accounts of the upset on the road in the third game of the best-of-five series. While L'Équipe lists the score as 87-77 after overtime, Ouest-France records the final score in home-away notation as 77-87 – the same result: Golden State wins in Las Vegas. The Aces had hoped their home strength would extend the series – to no avail.

Williams as the key player

It was another gala performance from the 28-year-old, known in her home country as captain of the "Bleues." L'Équipe particularly highlights her 16 points, while Ouest-France emphasizes her role as "once again decisive." The 2025 WNBA season has been extraordinary for the wing player – and with the expansion team from the Bay Area advancing to the Finals, the story gains a particularly redemptive chapter: the Valkyries are just the second new franchise in league history to reach the championship round in its inaugural campaign.

Atlanta Dream awaits in the Finals

The Finals opponent is already set: as Ouest-France reports, the Golden State Valkyries will face the Atlanta Dream. Both sources leave open when the Finals series will begin.

What this means for you

If you follow basketball, particularly the European influence in the WNBA, you now have a clear date on your calendar: Williams battles with Golden State for the title – against an Atlanta team heading into the Finals as the underdog.