Gabby Williams Makes 'Unfortunate’ Admission About Bizarre WNBA Finals Game 6 Situation After Valkyries' Championship Win

Gabby Williams scored 30 points to lead the Valkyries to their historic WNBA Finals title.© NDTV GALLERY

Gabby Williams has made it clear that the unusual scheduling of Game 6 was not responsible for the Golden State Valkyries' defeat against the Atlanta Dream in the 2026 WNBA Finals. The game was moved to a 12:30 p.m. ET start at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, drawing attention from fans and media ahead of the contest. However, Williams said her team had bigger concerns at that stage of the series. She also pointed out that winning Game 6 could have created another problem, given the arena's busy schedule. Golden State eventually lost that game before bouncing back to win its first WNBA championship.

Gabby Williams Explains Why Game 6 Timing Was Not A Concern

Speaking to CNBC's Alex Sherman, Williams was asked how she felt about the unusual afternoon start. She explained that the schedule was not something the team spent much time thinking about.

“I was worried about a lot of other things. Honestly, the time and the place didn't matter too much by game six. I think our minds were kind of spiraling, but yeah, it was a tough it was a tough start, but we didn't really mind it,” Williams said.

She was also asked whether the change affected the Valkyries' performance. Williams had a clear answer.

“No, not at all. The only thing would have been like if we were to have won the ceremony; that would have been unfortunate, but a good thing we just did,” she added.

Her point was about what would have happened after a Golden State victory. The Atlanta Dream had moved their home playoff games from Gateway Center Arena, which has a much smaller capacity, to State Farm Arena to accommodate more fans.

The Atlanta Hawks were also scheduled to play the Cleveland Cavaliers there later that evening. A championship ceremony after Game 6 could have made the arena turnaround difficult.

Golden State Valkyries Bounce Back After Atlanta Dream Win

Losing Game 6 meant Golden State had to return home for a deciding game. Williams admitted that the situation brought mixed feelings, but she also tried to see the opportunity ahead.

“Not necessarily better, because I mean there's so much stress and the unknown. Definitely mixed emotions, like, okay, was that our shot? Did we just lose it [Game 6]? But then also I try to stay positive and be like, okay, but how good is that going to feel if we do get it done? Maybe this is just meant to be and meant for us. So try to think of it that way,” Williams said.

Atlanta won Game 6 by 80-69, with Allisha Gray scoring 23 points and Rhyne Howard adding 21. Williams finished with 26 points for Golden State.

However, the Valkyries had the final say in Game 7. Williams delivered 30 points as Golden State won 68-63 at Chase Center on October 31, becoming champions in just their second season. Coach Natalie Nakase summed up her performance after the victory.

“Gabby is our closer; she stayed patient, she stayed with it,” Nakase said. “Closing with 30!”