Valkyries' Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton and Kiah Stokes named to WNBA All-Defense team

The Valkyries' Gabby Williams, left, and Veronica Burton defend against A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of the WNBA semifinals last Friday. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/S.F. Chronicle) Three Golden State Valkyries were named to the All-Defense team. That seems appropriate given that the team boasts the league's top defense by major statistical measures. Forward Gabby Williams was named to the All-Defense first team. Guard Veronica Burton and center Kiah Stokes were named All-Defense second team, the league announced on Thursday. Williams finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting to winner Angel Reese, whom the Valkyries will face in the WNBA Finals.For Williams, this is the 30-year-old's second straight first-team selection and third in her career. She had a 98.6 defensive rating in the regular season and finished tied for fourth in the league in steals per game, averaging 1.6. Her 31.8% steal percentage ranks seventh.Burton and Williams formed one of the most impactful point-of-attack defensive duos in the league. Burton is tied with Williams for steals per game with 1.6 and sixth in defensive rating with a 95.7 score.The Valkyries were most effective at the perimeter disrupting actions, but the unit is complete with Stokes cleaning up messes under the rim. The 33-year-old center was stifling against opposing teams' bigs, ranking fourth with 1.7 blocks per game - she had 11 games with at least three blocks - while leading centers in defensive rating with 94.5. Stokes' best performance came in the semifinal round against the Las Vegas Aces, where she guarded A'ja Wilson, who won the WNBA's MVP award in 2026, her third straight and fifth overall.SubscribeThere’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Valkyries' Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton and Kiah Stokes named to WNBA All-Defense team.