ATLANTA – At the end of Game 3 on Wednesday night, Gabby Williams did something rare: She let it all out. As she stood in a huddle with her Golden State Valkyries teammates on court in a sold-out, deafeningly loud State Farm Arena after the final whistle of a 26-point thrashing at the hands of the Atlanta Dream to fall down 2-1 in the WNBA Finals, Williams found her way into the center. She yelled and pointed, stomped and pleaded with her teammates before they left the court.
It was a jarring sight coming from the often soft-spoken, pensive veteran, and quickly went viral. Gabby Williams visibly animated in the huddle immediately after going down 2-1 in Atlanta, 97-71 pic.twitter.com/VSJCcZF9uI We may never know what Williams said in that huddle, but we do know that her words made an impact. The Valkyries returned to their defensive bona fides on Saturday afternoon to win Game 4 67-62 and even the series 2-2.
Williams, who led the team with a game-high 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, felt a responsibility to step up on the court after her fiery speech. "I think it got me going," Williams said after Game 4. "I didn't like my last game.
I didn't like who I was in that last game. So, I think stepping up in that role made me step up. Also, if I want to lead my team, I have to be the one that sets the tone, and I have to lead by example as well.
So I think that motivated me to set the tempo today, start off the game with a lot of aggressiveness." Teammate Veronica Burton, who had 13 points, five assists, three rebounds, three steals and a clutch 3-pointer midway through the fourth that halted the Dream's momentum, told CBS Sports that Williams' words made an impact on the whole team. "I think she did a great job of inspiring us," Burton said. "You know, we understand that it's do or die right now.
There's nothing to save up for. And you've got to have that mentality coming in. You've got to have the dog mentality.
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