WNBA Finals: Gabby Williams' defensive effort sets tone for MVP performance

SAN FRANCISCO — It only takes 58 seconds. Angel Reese has the ball on the left wing, one of the series-low 31 half-court touches she logged on the night, reading the body language of all-world defender Kiah Stokes. Reese wants a repeat of Game 6 — not just the win, but success against Stokes specifically. Stokes isn’t presenting her top foot as easily as she did on Thursday; her stance is flatter this time as she peeks over to her left. As Stokes regains focus, Reese attacks to her left. Pound. Pound. Gather. Bump. Reese appears to have enough inside leverage to slip a shot past Stokes. She doesn’t, however, have enough time to avoid a rotating Gabby Williams.Slide. Slide. Leap. Swat.Gabby really set the tone early, just didn't know it. pic.twitter.com/FyC8ry029S— Nekias (Nuh-KAI-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) November 1, 2026It’s a loud play. A precursor to more than five minutes of scoreless basketball from the Dream to start Game 7 of the WNBA Finals on Saturday. The first of four blocks — and six total stocks — Williams would have in the Valkyries’ 68-63 victory. Ultimately, it was a signal that Williams would do whatever was asked or necessary to win this game.Win, she did. Win, they did. It’s fitting that the Valkyries secured a championship off the backs of their defense. And it’s fitting that Williams, who eventually tied a WNBA Finals record with 30 points in a winner-take-all game, made her initial mark on the defensive end. That she was even in position to make that block was due to a subtle adjustment from head coach Natalie Nakase, yet another nod to how willing she is to shuffle the deck if it’ll increase her team’s chances of winning. In this particular case, it was Nakase’s decision to have Williams guard forward Naz Hillmon instead of fellow star wing Rhyne Howard.It felt like a way to unlock Williams’ otherworldly off-ball instincts without worrying about being burned on the back end. While Hillmon is capable of knocking down shots, she isn’t a voluminous enough shooter or scoring threat to warrant heavy attention.(To that end, multiple teams — most notably the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty during their second-round series — found comfort stashing guards on Hillmon so they could cross-match elsewhere. It’s what led me to ask both head coach Karl Smesko and Hillmon about dealing with it before the Finals began.)Smesko called it a smart adjustment after the game, noting how that cross-match made it easier for the Valkyries to neutralize some of the off-ball goodness the Dream wanted to get into.According to Nakase, it was simply a switch for the sake of switching things up.Whatever the rationale — I’d wager Nakase was being just a tad coy with her reasoning —  it was undoubtedly effective. Per Second Spectrum, there were 17 instances of Williams being matched up with Hillmon in the half-court through the first six games of the series. That number jumped to 33 in Game 7, with the Dream scoring 21 points across those possessions. If we’re continuing the theme of switch-flipping, there has to be a discussion about Williams’ scoring surge: two points in the first half, 28 in the second half. It started with a drive, as it generally does for Williams. Giving the illusion of a righty drive before going behind her back to her left, taking Jordin Canada to the hoop with her for a slick finish at the rim. Then adversity hits. Her next three attempts: a missed end-of-clock three that Canada may have gotten a piece of, a lefty finish over Howard and Hillmon that doesn’t go, and a stampede cut into a layup attempt that gets swatted by Reese before being recovered by Kiah Stokes for a putback.But that doesn’t deter Williams from being aggressive. After missing a turnaround jumper against Allisha Gray, she gets a second shot to go down — a lefty drive against Hillmon. Then the barrage really begins.A step-back triple over DeWanna Bonner after a switch. A three over the outstretched arm of Reese from the right wing. A left corner three, incredibly open due to Canada hitting the deck and Reese closing out late. Shortly after, it’s a dribble-in post-up that flows into a fading jumper over Canada.The Dream were up 35-28 after Williams missed that turnaround over Gray. By the time the third quarter ended, the Valkyries led 45-44. A 17-9 flip in that stretch, with Williams scoring 13 of those points. It was time for Williams to close the door in the final frame. A Chris Paul special — a pull-up middy around the right elbow — over Reese on a late switch. Later, it’s a drive and finish over Reese following a miscommunication against a Tiffany Hayes ghost screen. Finally, a 28-footer to give the Valkyries a 60-57 lead with 2:18 left. The Valkyries never relinquished that lead. It was a special performance from a special player, one that ultimately earned her Finals MVP and the moniker of “most valuable player on the planet” from Nakase.