The Golden State Valkyries are one victory away from capturing a historic WNBA championship in just their second year of existence. Yet, amid all the attention surrounding their remarkable run, Charles Barkley believes one of their biggest contributors isn’t receiving the recognition she deserves. Joining two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker on the Post Moves podcast, Barkley named Golden State forward Gabby Williams as one of the league’s most overlooked stars, drawing a comparison with Toronto Raptors star Scottie Barnes, whom he considers the NBA’s most underrated player.

“I talk about Scottie Barnes. When people talk about great players, I said, Scottie Barnes is the most underrated player in the NBA,” He told Parker, who agreed about Barnes. “I said, this guy, I said, you know, people never mention him when they talk about great players. I feel the same way about Gabby Williams.”

Chuck noted that while league conversations naturally orbit around superstars like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and newly crowned ROTY Olivia Miles, Williams remains criminally underappreciated despite acting as the emotional and defensive engine for a championship contender.

“I mean, obviously A’ja’s probably the best player in the NBA. We talk about Olivia Miles, who had an amazing rookie year. Phee [Napheesa Collier], we got her back. She was out most of the year, and the Lynx just, like, wow, they had to be in shock getting swept like that. We talk about Breanna and so on in New York. But man, let me tell you something. Gabby Williams, what she’s doing right now because she is their emotional leader.”

Referencing the Valkyries reclaiming the series after losing Games 2 and 3, Chuck hyped Williams’ and the Valkyries’ effort against the Angel Reese-led Dream.

“The last two games have been coaching masterpieces by Golden State, and now the Dream has their back against the wall,” Barkley stated. “But I’m telling you, man, I just love watching them play. But Gabby Williams, man, she to me… I talked about underrated players. She is one of the most underrated players ‘cause I’ve been watching the WNBA for a minute and I know they only been around a short period of time, but nobody ever mentions her when they’re talking about great players.”

Parker strongly echoed Barkley’s sentiment, emphasizing that Williams’ arrival in the Bay Area via free agency in April was the most impactful acquisition of the WNBA offseason.

“Well, I think that’s the marquee signing of this offseason. If there’s anybody that really fit where Golden State was trying to go, it was signing her,” Parker agreed. “I really like that comparison with her and Barnes. I really like that because Barnes is a guy that defends 1 through 5, really. I mean, Gabby can defend 1 through 4. She’s the emotional leader. She gets downhill. The style of play is like what she represents.”

Beyond individual talent, Barkley credited the Valkyries’ mid-series turnaround against the Atlanta Dream to elite coaching adjustments by Natalie Nakase and Williams’ stabilizing presence on the floor. After Atlanta handed the Valkyries a lopsided blowout in Game 3, Golden State bounced back to secure back-to-back victories in Game 4 and Game 5, taking a 3–2 series lead before the Dream tied the series once more.

The 30-year-old French-American forward has put together a career-defining 2026 campaign. After earning WNBA All-Defensive First Team honors and winning the league’s steals title in 2025 with Seattle, Williams signed a multi-year deal with the Valkyries in April. She went on to record a career-high 14.4 points per game in the regular season, becoming the first All-Star starter in Valkyries franchise history while finishing as the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.

Across the six Finals games so far, Williams has paced the Valkyries while averaging 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

She set the tone in Game 1 with a 26-point masterclass. Though she struggled with her shooting in Game 4, she added 17 points in their crucial series-tying victory. After the Game 6 loss, Williams seems to have gotten attention, but not the kind Chuck hoped.

With the Dream forcing a Game 7 in the Finals, both teams are now just one win away from their first championship. The series returns to the Valkyries’ home floor at Chase Center, where Williams will have one more chance to show why Barkley and Parker believe she deserves to be mentioned among the league’s best.