One day before Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Golden State Valkyries superstar guard Gabby Williams made waves with a comment she made about how the media has perceived her.
“The media has never respected me. I’ve never expected them to. So, that has always been in the back of my head," Williams said.
"I've never paid any mind to media. So, if media is praising me now, I don’t care," she added.
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) October 16, 2026Gabby Williams on respect in the media:
“The media’s never respected me. I’ve never expected them to … so, if media’s praising me now … I don’t care.”
Williams talked about who has respected/poured into her (re: players), including Sue Bird. pic.twitter.com/k6ek0v8NMK
These comments came in the wake of Golden State's run to the WNBA Finals, which has included them winning five of their six postseason games, sweeping the Las Vegas Aces in the Semifinals, and Gabby Williams cementing herself as one of the league's elite players.
But that success wasn't enough to earn Williams — who has been shown respect and coverage by some media outlets, without naming names — the No. 1 spot in ESPN's ranking of the top 15 WNBA players, which they published on Friday.
Instead, Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese secured the No. 1 spot, with Williams coming in behind her at No. 2.
Gabby Williams' Media Criticism Takes New Meaning After Angel Reese's ESPN Ranking
Comparing and ranking players involves much more than comparing points per game. But Williams' 22.7 points per game throughout these playoffs, compared to Reese's 18 postseason points per game, suggests Williams very well could have taken that top spot.
Both women have also been elite on defense and are playing the best basketball of their lives. And making a case that Williams deserves to be No. 1 on that list doesn't mean that Reese isn't deserving of that top spot.
It's also just an arbitrary ESPN ranking that Williams might not even see before Game 1 tips off on Saturday. As she said herself, she doesn't pay the media any mind.
But this ranking does go to show that Williams often gets overlooked or at least underappreciated when being considered alongside some of the league's biggest names. Williams has been changing that narrative throughout this postseason and will erase it if she can lead the Valkyries to a WNBA Championship just two seasons into their franchise's history.
Williams might not be worried about this ESPN ranking. But perhaps it will linger in the back of her mind when facing off against Reese and the Dream on Sunday. Regardless, fans should expect a show from Williams throughout these WNBA Finals.
Add us as a preferred source on Google