Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams doesn’t expect the political and cultural issues swirling around the WNBA to go away anytime soon.
Williams, who just won his first championship for the Valkyries and won the Finals MVP award, spoke with CNBC’s Alex Sherman about the league’s place in the conversation. The WNBA has been at the forefront of several political and cultural issues this season, from race to sexuality.
“As female athletes, I think our very existence is political,” Williams said. “Being a female athlete automatically becomes politicized because we’re in a space where we may not have been welcome before.”
Williams said she and many of her fellow athletes understand the fact that playing professional basketball has provided them with a greater foundation.
“I think that’s something we as athletes should embrace,” Williams said, noting that players have gotten involved in political and social causes in the past, including the 2020 Georgia Senate runoffs and the Black Lives Matter movement. “I think that will continue,” she said.
The 30-year-old basketball player, who was born in Nevada to an American father and French mother, grew up watching the Black Lives Matter movement as a student athlete at the University of Connecticut.
“Oh, I realized something amazing. They’re not just basketball players. They’re leaders in our community. I was actually looking forward to that part of the W,” she said.
#1 Gabby Williams of the Golden State Valkyries shoots the ball against #00 Naz Hillmon of the Atlanta Dream during the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the 2026 WNBA Finals at Chase Center on October 31, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
Ezra Shogetti Images
Williams has used her platform to speak out in support of transgender rights, a topic that became a flashpoint in the league this season after Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham claimed transgender women should not compete in women’s sports.
Williams believes sport should be open to everyone and said he had received hateful messages and death threats because of his views.
Williams said the Valkyrie’s home arena, the Chase Center, which has become known as the “ball hall” for its electric atmosphere, made him feel welcome and gave him confidence in his development this season.
“Being in Ballhara has allowed me to be myself,” Williams said. “As soon as I got there, I felt so welcomed. In the preseason games, even though I wasn’t even playing, people were kind of screaming for me and welcoming me. And it gives me confidence, which I think is something you can only get at Valhalla.”
