Gabby Williams' Bay Area Roots Fuel Seamless Golden State Valkyries Fit

Gabby Williams has looked like she belongs with the Golden State Valkyries from the moment she arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The 29-year-old former UConn star and French citizen signed with Golden State in free agency this past offseason and is enjoying arguably the best campaign of her WNBA career, averaging a career-high 15.8 points per game, 35.2% from three-point range, and emerging as one of the leading candidates for the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award while typically matching up against her opponents' top perimeter scorers.

Her acclimation off the court has been equally seamless. That's partially because the Bay Area wasn't foreign to her.

A Childhood Connection to the Bay

Williams — who said she has had a family member present at every Valkyries home game this season — spent much of her childhood around the Bay. She spent time in Alameda; several of her brothers played college basketball around the area; her younger sister played at Cal Berkeley; and multiple family members still live throughout the region.

Golden State has quickly become known for its defensive grit, international roster, and close-knit culture inside Ballhalla, which is the nickname given to Golden State's home at Chase Center. Williams has naturally fit into all three, making her arrival feel less like a free agent signing and more like a homecoming.

And some of those childhood memories came flooding back almost immediately.

"That first time on the Bay Bridge [stirred up childhood memories], because it was that feeling of when I was a kid, when we finally got to the Bay Bridge from Reno, finally, you're on the bridge. We're almost there. Having that same feeling that was recognizable and familiar was really funny when I first got here," Williams told Women's Fastbreak On SI.

"That first drive on the Bay Bridge when I was coming for the first time was just so nostalgic and familiar. Going to Pier 39, little things like that. It's more nostalgic, I think."

@gabbywilliams15, Ballhalla looks real good on you.

Welcome home 🫶 pic.twitter.com/P8LTCIJAFc
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) April 25, 2026

While much of Williams' childhood was in the Bay, the same can't be said for her adult life.

"I've never actually experienced the Bay Area as an adult, because I was just here before college. And I actually didn't spend as much time in San Francisco. I was mostly in Alameda, in Oakland, or Daly City. And I was actually pretty unfamiliar with San Francisco itself. But then I'll hear hyphy music, or I'll pass places that I passed growing up," Williams added.

Hyphy, a distinctly Bay Area style of hip hop popularized in the early 2000s by artists such as E-40 (who is often seen courtside at Valkyries games), has become one of many reminders that Williams is back at a place that always felt familiar.

Gabby Williams and E-40 | IMAGO / Newscom World

Discovering San Francisco for the First Time

She has also made a point to experience the Bay in ways she couldn't growing up.

On the rare off-day, Williams enjoys exploring San Francisco, trying new restaurants, and spending time outside.

"I didn't realize how much good Indian food was out here. Thai food too, actually. It's not something I ate as much when I was younger," Williams said.

Wine culture is another part of Northern California she's eager to dive into. Although she hasn't made that trip to Napa Valley yet, it's already on her offseason to-do list.

Williams also hopes to experience more of the Bay Area's signature events, including San Francisco Pride and the Portola Music Festival in late September, provided the Valkyries' postseason schedule cooperates. She'd love to make another trip to Outside Lands after last attending the festival in 2016, but can't this season because the Valkyries will be on the road.

Her appreciation for Bay Area culture extends beyond music. Williams is an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, which was on display during the Valkyries' recent Pride Night against the Atlanta Dream at Ballhalla.

After the Valkyries won by three points, Williams celebrated by shouting, "For the gays!" at the camera, which went viral because of how it resonated with fans, reflected her personality, and hilariously encapsulated Golden State's embrace of Pride Month.

Even one of the Bay Area's most recognizable words has found its way back into her vocabulary. Williams laughed that "hella" has "very easily" returned since moving back to the Bay Area. It's a small detail, but one that captures how deeply the Bay Area has remained part of Williams' identity.

As a kid, she knew the region through family visits, basketball, and long drives across the Bay Bridge. Today, she's experiencing it from an entirely different perspective—as one of the faces of the WNBA's most compelling franchise and a major reason why Golden State has become a contender.

In other words, Williams' time in Ballhalla has worked out hella well.

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