Gabby Williams has been one of the best players in the world for years, according to Kelsey Plum. The difference now is that WNBA fans are finally getting to see what happens when the Golden State Valkyries star gets the freedom to take over a game.

Plum discussed Williams’ evolution on Road Trippin’, explaining why the forward’s emergence in Golden State shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who followed her career overseas or watched her closely in Seattle.

“WNBA fans are now getting a taste of who Gabby Williams is,” Plum said. “But, like, if you’ve played overseas or if you’ve watched Gabby for years, Gabby’s been one of the best players in the world for the last four or five years.”

Williams has long been known for her defense, versatility, and basketball IQ. But her role with the Seattle Storm didn’t always allow her to showcase the full extent of her offensive game. In Golden State, under head coach Natalie Nakase, she’s been given more responsibility and the freedom to create for herself.

Plum believes that change has made all the difference.

Kelsey Plum Just Named the WNBA’s Next Superstar! 👀

@Kelseyplum10 @RealAClifton @HeyJordanR @RyanRuocco

— Road Trippin’ Show (@RoadTrippinShow) October 18, 2026

Kelsey Plum Explains How Natalie Nakase Unlocked Gabby Williams

“Watching Gabby, her evolution in the W in Seattle, she never got the opportunity to iso at the top of the key,” Plum explained. “It just wasn’t that she couldn’t do it. It was just that that wasn’t her role.”

That distinction matters as she continues to battle Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream. Williams didn’t suddenly develop the ability to handle the ball, attack defenders, and create offense. Plum’s point is that Seattle rarely asked her to do those things, leaving a significant part of her game out of view for WNBA fans.

Nakase has taken a different approach. Rather than keeping Williams in a narrowly defined role, the Valkyries coach has given her more offensive responsibility and let her dictate possessions.

“It’s awesome to see somebody that has basically just, like, waited her turn but has always played the right way,” Plum said.

Williams’ willingness to do the less glamorous work has never been the question. She’s a versatile defender who can make life difficult for opposing scorers, and she understands how to contribute without needing the ball on every possession. Those qualities helped establish her reputation long before Golden State gave her a larger offensive platform.

Now, she’s getting the chance to show what she can truly do.

“But Gabby’s always been an extremely smart, competitive, play-both-sides-of-the-ball, winning basketball player,” Plum added.

GABBY WILLIAMS TODAY:

• 26 POINTS
• 4 REBOUNDS
• 2 ASSISTS
• 33 MINUTES PLAYED

— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) October 17, 2026

The praise is significant coming from Plum, who has played alongside and against elite talent throughout her career. She’s not describing Williams as a player who suddenly became valuable because a new team gave her a chance. She’s arguing that the value was there all along, even if the role didn’t always make it obvious.

“And I think Natalie Nakase has just been like, Hey, listen, we’re gonna throw you the keys. Take off.”

That may be the clearest explanation for Williams’ evolution in Golden State. Nakase hasn’t necessarily reinvented her. She’s given Williams the opportunity to use more of the skills she already possessed, and the results have helped change how fans view her.

Not everyone is convinced Williams belongs in the superstar conversation. Some reactions to the discussion pushed back on that label, arguing that she’s a very good player and an elite defender rather than a true offensive centerpiece. Others pointed to her time in the league and questioned why it took so long for her to receive this kind of attention.

Those criticisms get at the central debate surrounding Williams. Has she elevated her game, or has Golden State finally built a role that makes her strengths more visible?

Plum’s answer leans heavily toward the latter. She sees a player who has done the right things for years, now operating with a level of freedom she didn’t have in Seattle.

That doesn’t mean Williams’ current role automatically makes her a superstar, or that every criticism of her game is misplaced. Greater offensive responsibility brings different expectations, and sustaining that production is part of proving she can thrive as a focal point.

But the Valkyries have given Williams something that can be difficult to find in a league full of talented players: the chance to discover just how much she can do when a coach trusts her with the ball.