Star forward Gabby Williams has signed a multi-year contract with the Golden State Valkyries, the team announced on Sunday. The Valkyries also secured escort Kaila Charles with a two-year deal. Williams was fundamental in securing a playoff spot for the Seattle Storm in 2025. Nicknamed the “French Swiss Army Knife” for her versatility and impact on the game, the forward in her seventh year in the league, achieved her first All-Star appearance and was named to the All-Defensive first team.
In 2025, Williams achieved career highs in several categories, including points (11.6) and assists (4.2). She led the WNBA in steals per game (2.3) and finished with 99 for the season, one short of tying the record of 100 steals set by Teresa Weatherspoon in 1998. Charles, 28 years old, joined the Valkyries mid-season 2025 after being cut by the Dallas Wings and averaged 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18 games. Selected fourth overall by the Sky in 2018, Williams, who is 5-foot-11, played three seasons with Chicago before being traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2021. She did not play any games for the Sparks and was traded to the Storm in 2022. Williams signed a one-year contract with Seattle in February 2025. Williams, 29, won a silver medal with France at the Paris 2024 Olympics and was named to the All-Star Five. She also won bronze with France in 2020 and was part of UConn’s championship teams in 2015 and 2016.“For a player of Gabby’s caliber to choose us in our second year… it means everything,” said Ohemaa Nyanin, general manager of the Valkyries, in a statement. “She is world-class. One of the best defenders in the world, a WNBA All-Star, and someone who makes everyone around her better.”
Ohemaa Nyanin, General Manager of the Valkyries
