‘The Media’s Never Respected Me’ — Gabby Williams Calls Out WNBA Media Ahead Of Valkyries vs. Dream
· Yahoo Sports
The upcoming WNBA Finals are another opportunity for Golden State Valkyries All-Star forward Gabby Williams to continue earning national recognition. Williams has been one of the best players in the playoffs so far, earning media praise in the process. However, Williams clarified her thoughts on the increased attention.
Gabby Williams Dismisses Increased Media Attention Ahead Of WNBA Finals
Williams was asked about her increased media spotlight during the Valkyries’ road to the Finals and said, “The media’s never respected me. I’ve never expected them to. So that’s always been in the back of my head. I’ve never paid any mind to the media, so if media’s praising me now, I don’t care.”
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While calling out the media, Williams added that the respect and praise from her peers mean more to her. Williams’ comments regarding the media follow her rise to recognition as one of the WNBA’s top two-way players.
While the Valkyries are generally known for and take pride in their depth instead of leaning on a true superstar, Williams has taken her game to new heights in the postseason, averaging 22.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and four assists per game, while shooting 40.5% from three.
She was named to her second consecutive All-Star team this season and finished runner-up in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, underscoring her increased media recognition.
The Valkyries have embraced an underdog mentality, with several players drawing motivation from feeling overlooked or underappreciated. Williams may still have a chip on her shoulder about some of the criticism she’s dealt with in the past.
She was drafted fourth overall in the 2018 Draft by the Chicago Sky, but averaged under 10 points a game during her time. Her offensive production in Chicago was modest for a No. 4 overall pick, as she averaged 6.8 points per game across three seasons.
Williams was highly successful overseas, while her overseas commitments also put her at the center of debate over the WNBA’s prioritization rule, which she publicly criticized for penalizing players unavailable at the start of the season due to their overseas commitments.
Williams’ WNBA career gained momentum after getting traded to the Seattle Storm in 2022, where she was named an All-Star in her final season there before signing with the Valkyries this past April.
She is looking ahead to Game 1 of the Finals against the Atlanta Dream, a team the Valkyries had success against during the regular season.
The Valkyries enter the Finals as slight betting favorites and have been picked by several analysts to win the series; the team will likely embrace the underdog attitude that Williams believes is partially motivated by a lack of respect throughout the season.
Williams’ comments suggest she is blocking out distractions while preparing for the biggest games of her career.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.