Golden State Valkyries Strengthen Their Defense As Gabby Williams Signs Multi-Year Deal

The WNBA 2026 season will be coming in with a lot of interesting stories. And one such franchise having a story to tell is the Golden State Valkyries. Last year, the Valkyries were one of the surprise elements. But this time around, the team will come in as a serious title contender. As the last season concluded, several Valkyries’ players proved their worth outside of the WNBA. For example, Kaitlyn Chen impressed for the USK Praha in the EuroLeague. 

And if that was not enough, Veronica Burton made her Golden State teammates proud. Following a breakout year, Burton landed herself in the USA senior camp. While the Valkyries’ roster is looking pretty solid, things just went to the next level as Gabby Williams joins the side.

Golden State Valkyries Ropes In Gabby Williams After Significant Struggles

The 29-year-old has been one of the biggest names in the league. Last year, Williams dropped her career-best season for the Seattle Storm. Quite expectedly, it was not an easy task for the Valkyries to close the deal. Thankfully, despite some staunch competition from the league rivals, the 2025 WNBA All-Star signed a multi-year contract with Golden State. 

Elated to have acquired the ‘French Army Knife’s services, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin stated, “For a player of Gabby’s caliber to choose us in just our second year means everything.” 

BREAKING: All-Star Gabby Williams has agreed to a multiyear deal with the Valkyries, per Taille 6 and @Andraya_Carter. pic.twitter.com/trGNiObpQ8

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 12, 2026

Taking a stroll back to last season, Williams averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Owing to her stellar performance, the Storm nominated the 29-year-old for the Women’s Sports Star of the Year. Now, the Valkyries’ front office will expect that the 2023 EuroCup champion will deliver a similar performance this year. 

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Meanwhile, the addition of Williams means that the Valkyries’ defense will be elite. 

Gabby Williams And Veronica Burton Will Make A Deadly Defensive Duo

The 2-time Turkish Super League champion had a stellar 2025 defensively. Leading the league with 2.3 steals per game, Williams ended with 99 steals. While she missed the single-season steals record of 100 by a whisker, the former Storm player delivered a strong statement. 

Her incredible surge also got her into the WNBA All-Defensive First Team in 2025. Now, add to that Burton’s presence on the other side of the court. Showing some significant improvement, Burton got into the WNBA All-Defensive Second Team last year. Thus, with the duo expected to wreak havoc, fans will wait to see how things play out.