At halftime of Game 7, Gabby Williams had two points, and the Valkyries trailed by six as owner Joe Lacob sat courtside at Chase Center next to Warriors players Draymond Green and Yaxel Lendeborg. The Warriors, also owned by Lacob, have won four NBA titles under how ownership. Then Williams scored 28 points in the second half, taking the Valkyries to the win, prompting Lacob to compare her performance to two nights he will never forget.

“It’s up there for me with Steph Curry’s Game 4 in Boston, Klay Thompson’s Game 6 in Oklahoma City…maybe just even greater than all of them because of the stakes. The Game 7, there’s just never been anything like that. I’m so proud of that woman,” Lacob said, per 95.7 The Game on X.

Both games are part of Warriors history. In Game 4 of the 2022 Finals in Boston, Steph Curry scored 43 points to put Golden State up 3-1. In Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals in Oklahoma City, Thompson hit 11 threes to keep the season alive.

He said he had never seen anything like it. A basketball fan since the days of the 1960s Celtics, Lacob had never witnessed a Game 7 closeout with this much pressure, so many expectations, and a crowd this loud. Williams had struggled in the first half, but none of that stopped her from taking over after the break.

Lacob’s admiration for her, however, did not begin that night. When he, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin, and coach Natalie Nakase went through the free-agent list, Williams was already near the top. They liked her talent, playing style, and personality. A one-hour conversation with her while she was playing in Turkey helped seal the deal.

In fact, Lacob had already made a bold claim about her, calling her the best player in the world. He admitted that he expected some criticism for saying it, but he stood by his words. He described Williams as an awesome defender and a great two-way player who had grown into that role this year.

Lacob knew the statement might put extra pressure on her, but he believed she wanted that confidence from her coach (Nakase), owner, and management.

And Williams certainly delivered when the stakes were highest. After halftime, she scored the team’s last 11 points of the third quarter, finishing the period with 15, including three straight threes. Golden State took a 45-44 lead. Later, with the game tied at 57, she hit a 30-foot three to make it 60-57 with 2:18 left. Data scientist Mike Beuoy says that shot lifted the Valkyries’ title chances from 54% to 75%.

By that measure, it was the 10th most important shot in WNBA history.

Williams finished with 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting, 4-of-8 from three, and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. She also added four blocks and two steals. Her 28 second-half points set a Finals record, and she scored 44.1% of her team’s points. She was named Finals MVP after averaging 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.6 steals.

The performance also made Lacob’s earlier words mean even more to her. Williams told 95.7 The Game, “It just felt great to be believed in…and that’s what gave me confidence.”

That feeling of pride extended beyond the Valkyries. Hall of Famer Chris Mullin watched from home and called the night “Steph-esque,” pointing to how Williams took over after hitting three straight threes.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team had followed the Valkyries throughout the season and called her performance amazing. “We’d love to do it again,” he said.

Steph Curry was not at Chase Center, but he posted, “Another one for the Bay!” He had also warmed up in a Veronica Burton Valkyries jersey the night before Game 1.

Several other Warriors were there to witness the moment in person. Green and Lendeborg sat courtside, and Williams even brought the trophy over to Lendeborg. Will Richard and Georges Niang were in the lower bowl, while former Warriors Chris Paul and Festus Ezeli also attended.

The celebration continued on Sunday when the Warriors honored the Valkyries between the first and second quarters of their game against the Clippers. The entire team came out with the trophy, and Williams threw T-shirts to fans.

The recognition did not stop with the Bay Area, either. Michael Jordan texted Williams on Monday morning and told her to “stay hungry.” She replied that she had never been hungrier.

Williams said she was not chasing the media’s respect. Instead, she valued the messages from former teammates who had followed her career and reached out after the win. She also wanted to enjoy the moment, knowing this exact group would not be together again.

By the final buzzer, she had delivered a record-breaking performance that earned her comparisons with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson from the Warriors’ own owner. Lacob saw a performance worthy of the franchise’s greatest nights.

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