And in that whirlwind of breakthroughs, the signing of All-Star Gabby Williams stands apart. 

When the pen hit the paper two weeks ago, and one of the best two-way talents in the world chose the Bay Area on a multiyear deal, it marked the Valkyries’ biggest milestone yet.

It was a pinch-me moment for GM Ohemaa Nyanin, who said the moment didn’t feel like real life until she saw Williams in violet. It was cause for early celebration for reigning WNBA Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase (opens in new tab), who cracked open a magnum of Caymus cabernet sauvignon on the eve of Williams’ decision, riding a strong feeling about the conversations they’d shared. This landmark wasn’t just about what Golden State has accomplished. It’s about who now believes in what the Valkyries are building.

Williams, a three-time EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year, coming off a career-season with the Storm, had her choice. She was reportedly in discussions with the Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx. Established contenders. Proven systems.

She said a “winning culture” was her top factor heading into the compressed free agency period. And in a 45-game sample size, that’s exactly what she saw in Golden State. 

From the organization’s on-court identity to its top-to-bottom approach to the fan experience, she sees the outline of something bigger and built to last. 

“This is what creates dynasties: having a franchise that thinks about every detail, every nook and cranny to make the experience better for everybody,” Williams said when she was formally introduced ahead of Golden State’s lone preseason game Saturday night. 

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Her choice points forward for the Valkyries. And for Williams, it also circled back. 

Two weeks ago, she capped a Turkish Super League championship run with Fenerbahçe — alongside Valkyries’ center Iliana Rupert. Earlier this week she flew from Istanbul back home to Reno, Nevada. On Friday, she scooped up her beloved cat, Halle Berry — who’s nearly the size of a small mountain lion — and made the 3 ½-hour drive over the mountains to San Francisco. Along for the ride was Alfonso Joo, her longtime coach from the Bay Area BullDawgs, a family figure who’s coached Williams since she was 8 years old.

The drive became a bridge between past and present. They reminisced about AAU tournaments in Alameda and South San Francisco, about long weekends in cramped gyms, about the version of Williams who handled the ball as a point guard before she grew into a more fluid, positionless athlete. Williams spent the bulk of her summers growing up away from Reno, traveling all over for tournaments. Her brothers play basketball at Cal State East Bay, her younger sister Jayda Noble spent a season at Cal, and her oldest sister, Kayla, lives in the East Bay — in 15 years, she’s never lived this close to her family. 

Driving up to Chase Center on Friday, she was met with a violet balloon arch, her image towering on the big screen, and nearby fans looking for her jersey not yet on sale in the team store and shouting, “It’s Gabby Williams! It’s Gabby Williams!” An organization, in short, ready to embrace her.

Comfort alone doesn’t land a player like Williams. Fit does. Vision does. And what the Valkyries conveyed in one season was enough to make her believe there was something sustainable anchoring the early success. 

From afar, she saw it in the way the Valkyries played — the pace, the flying ball movement, the defensive tenacity and the connectivity that defined their offense and fueled their rise. It’s tactical, with a European flair and an “everybody eats” mentality. 

Williams can thrive in that kind of system. She moves without the ball, defends across positions, pushes in transition, and is as comfortable initiating offense as she is finishing it — a connector in every sense. That versatility is exactly what Nyanin and Nakase have prioritized. Their scheme is built on shared responsibility, not hierarchy. It’s the kind of thing that can’t exist without total buy-in. 

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“That played a part in my decision — where do I go to raise my ceiling as a player individually, too?” Williams said. “Being a part of a group like this will play into that … I like to create for others when I play and being surrounded by shooters will make that very easy for me.” 

This wasn’t just the Valkyries adding talent, in an offseason where continuity was a theme. It’s a player of Williams’ caliber identifying them as the right environment for her own growth. That kind of alignment is rare this early in a franchise’s life cycle. 

“Gabby has no ceiling,” Joo said. 

Nakase agrees. 

“She’s one of the best two-way players in the league that is still continuing to grow … she’s selfless, she plays the right way, she puts family first, she puts the team first. I thought it was a perfect fit for Gabby,” the coach said.

The Valkyries proved plenty in Year 1 — wins, playoff potential, an engaged fan base of their own — but they hadn’t fully answered a different question: Would elite players see them as the destination this early? Would someone with real options look at a one-year sample and see something real?

Williams did. She saw a team that cares about winning and one that values continuity, detail, and connection. 

“I remember it being really hard to play here as an opponent,” she said. “That makes you want to be on the other team.”

Now she is. 

On the court, her impact has the potential to be immediate and expansive. Defensively, she brings length, instincts, and versatility. Offensively, she adds pace and playmaking, especially in transition, where her ability to push and create mismatches unlocks a new level for this team. Surrounded by shooters in a system designed for movement, her skill set becomes a multiplier. 

“She picked the new franchise, but the franchise has proved itself,” Joo said. “The culture of the Valkyries resonated with Gabby, and that made the difference. It made her choose the Bay Area again.”