For most professional basketball players, securing a major multiyear WNBA contract is the pinnacle of an offseason. For Gabby Williams, it was merely the opening act to yet another international accolade.

“Make it “3-time DPOY. Gabby Williams claims the #EuroLeagueWomen Defensive Player of the Year honors for the third time in her career,” posted EuroLeague basketball on their X handle.

Gabby has found herself in the middle of a purple patch where everything she touches turns to gold. Just a week ago, Williams signed a multiyear deal with the Golden State Valkyries after her impressive display for the Seattle Storm grabbed eyeballs.

Gabby propelled Seattle to earn a playoff spot in 2025 and did so while excelling across every department. Be it with her scoring (11.6 ppg) or assists (4.2 apg). She led the WNBA in steals per game (2.3) and finished with 99 for the season, just one shy of tying Teresa Weatherspoon’s longstanding 100-steal record set in 1998.

The same streak she carried over to the EuroLeague, winning the honors for the third time in her career, having initially won it in 2021 while representing Sopron Basket, which she subsequently guided to a historic first title success.

Fenerbahce had a strong run, sweeping past competition with ease that included teams like Spar Girona and Basket Landes, and Williams’ performance shone through every step of the way.

In the semi-finals, Fenerbahce had a very dominant win over Uni Girona (76-59), which will now get Gabby and her team a date with their ultimate rivals, Galatasaray.

All throughout the season, she managed to score with ease while also being a constant presence with her perimeter defense and secondary playmaking, which made it possible for Fenerbahce to have very crisp movement on the glass.

Ironically, it was this style of her gameplay that had also won her the same honors in last year’s edition. She got this distinction via a combination of the votes of EuroLeague Women coaches, players, select media, and the fans.

Now the 29-year-old will look to again bring this streak back to the US to help the Valkyries in their quest for the title, and Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin also looks besotted with Williams.

Valkyries’ General Manager Calls Williams “World Class”

With the Golden State Valkyries choosing to select Gabby Williams as their new forward, GM Ohemaa Nyanin also couldn’t help but shower praise on their latest acquisition.

“For a player of Gabby’s caliber to choose us in just our second year … means everything. She is world-class. One of the best defenders in the world, a WNBA All-Star, and someone who makes everyone around her better,” said Nyanin, giving Williams her flowers.

The long-term contract will now enable the Valkyries to have an elite defender on their roster who just might be too much for the opposition to handle. A defensive powerhouse, she might just be the right addition to play both as an attacker up front and to stabilize the defense.

Their last year’s exit in the first round (2-0) at the hands of Minnesota shows the team could not keep up with the Lynx when it came to imposing their will. The Valkyries lost the second game by a minuscule margin of one point, and in these situations, having someone of Gabby’s caliber can entirely change the fate of the game.

With Williams now onboard the entire roster can now benefit from her skills. She has posted a performance efficiency valuation of 15.1, averaging 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, while also showcasing her defensive prowess with a league-leading 3.0 steals per outing for Fenerbahce, and is coming fresh to deal some more damage now to her WNBA rivals.

Most importantly, she will also enjoy the support of her French compatriots Janelle Salaün and Iliana Rupert, who both signed multiyear contracts with the Valkyries over the weekend. Together, they won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, and Rupert and Williams also won silver in Tokyo, and that makes things very interesting.

With the WNBA season slowly approaching, every team is looking to get the best roster in place, and for Golden State, it’s no different. So, people from the Bay Area, prepare yourselves to cheer for your team as they look to jump into the fray with a more polished lineup.

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