RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Gabby Williams is in Berlin to represent her country in the FIBA World Cup, with the schedule most likely leading her to a face-off with many of her own teammates in Team USA. Williams and her Valkyries teammate Janelle Salaun are both playing for Team France and since they will be playing for Team France for a while, the Golden State franchise has temporarily suspended their contracts.
Not just Williams and Salaun, but even Cecilia Zandalasini’s contract as well has been temporarily suspended as she represents Italy in the World Cup. The Valkyries are being quite well-represented on the international stage, especially in the case of Williams.
William was part of the team that faced Team USA in the Paris Olympics and gave them a run for their money. And now, she will be surely playing with a lot more vengeance, accompanied by a lot more expertise after facing many of the Team USA players in the WNBA.
“Golden State Valkyries have temporarily suspended the contracts of (France flag) forwards Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaun and (Italy fag) forward Cecilia Zandalasini as the Valkys trio are off to represent their respective countries at the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup,” X account AllThingsWNBA tweeted.
Golden State Valkyries have temporarily suspended the contracts of forwards Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaün and forward Cecilia Zandalasini as
The Valkys trio are off to represent their respective countries at the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup pic.twitter.com/Opmqi162oo
— AllThingsWNBA (@AllThingsWNBA) August 29, 2026
Gabby Williams will be perhaps one of the biggest threats that Team USA will have to face. And, once she is back, she will need to amplify her performance once more to help Golden State in the playoffs.
Gabby Williams-Less Valkyries Defeat Fire Over The Weekend
Meanwhile, a Gabby Williams-less Valkyries team was recently stunned in a matchup against the Fire, easily defeating Portland with a large margin. The Valkyries were led on the board by Tiffany Hayes who put up a sweet eighteen, while Kayla Thornton added another seventeen.
May 31, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) dribbles to the basket against Las Vegas Aces forward NaLyssa Smith (3) in the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
The Fire will be trying their best to even it out in their next matchup against Golden State, by which time Williams and several other stars will be back after the World Cup. The Warriors franchise has been simply stunning in this campaign, getting their playoff ticket right in their very second year of existence, which says something about the team.
It also says a lot about the acumen of players like Williams and Salaun against whom Team USA has to play in the World Cup. While Valkyries fans will be obviously excited to see the ladies represent their team in the World Cup, Americans will also be at a crossroads as to whether they will support Team USA or Team France when they eventually face-off.
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May 13, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Sky forward Rickea Jackson (5) looks for a shot around Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
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