OAKLAND, Calif. -- As Gabby Williams scrolled through the endless congratulatory text messages she has received since winning the 2026 WNBA championship with the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday night, one stood out from the rest.
It was from Michael Jordan.
"Stay hungry," the text read, Williams told ESPN on Monday.
She responded quickly: "I've never been hungrier."
Williams, who was crowned WNBA Finals MVP, scored 30 points in the first Game 7 in WNBA history while wearing a pair of Air Jordan 41 sneakers. Twenty-eight of those points came in the second half. Williams also added a game-high four blocks plus two steals.
The Chase Center and Bay Area are no strangers to incredible playoff performances. Some of those responsible for the memorable local area moments, including San Francisco Giants legend Barry Bonds and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, were courtside to see Williams'. As Valkyries owner Joe Lacob tells it, even they were amazed.
"Her second half ... legendary," Lacob said after the championship. "That was unbelievable stuff."
Her teammates felt the same.
"We've talked about it all season: We have Gabby Williams, and you don't," Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes said at exit interviews Monday. "[It] was one of the greatest things I've ever seen.
"She took it upon herself to make sure we weren't going to lose that game."
Golden State guard Veronica Burton said it felt like she was in the stands with the Ballhalla crowd watching Williams, even though she was on the court with her.
"You talk about being in the zone, and you hear about flow state, maybe you watch it on TV, but to be there in real time and to witness it was amazing," Burton said.
Williams, though, said she hasn't reflected on her Game 7 heroics. She's just sleepy.
"I'm just living in the moment," Williams said. "This was a really long month, a really long series. I've been focusing on my friends and my family, my loved ones and soaking this in with my teammates.
"Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever have this exact group again. So I am trying to soak in this moment as long as I can with these people."