Charles Barkley believes Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams deserves more recognition as one of the WNBA’s best players. The 1993 NBA MVP praised the forward while discussing her performances in the WNBA Finals.

The former Seattle Storm star has helped Golden State move within one win of a championship in just its second season. The Valkyries lead the Atlanta Dream 3-2 after winning Game 5 on Monday.

Charles Barkley Puts Gabby Williams in the Spotlight, Candace Parker Echoes His Praise

The Hall of Famer shared his opinion during Wednesday’s episode of “Post Moves,” the podcast hosted by Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston. Barkley joined the show to discuss the WNBA Finals and other basketball topics.

“Gabby Williams, man, she, to me — I talked about underrated players — she is one of the most underrated players, cos I’ve been watching the WNBA for a minute, and I know they have only been around a short period of time, but nobody ever mentions her when they are talking about great players,” Barkley said.

Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP, agreed and pointed to how well Williams fits with the Valkyries, who signed her to a multi-year contract in April after she spent four seasons with the Storm.

“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. … I really like that comparison with her and [Scottie] Barnes. I really like that because Barnes, a guy that defends 1 through 5, really. I mean, Gabby can defend 1 through 4. She’s the emotional leader,” Parker weighed in.

The No. 4 pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft arrived in Golden State after the best season of her career. She averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists for Seattle in 2025 while leading the league with 2.3 steals per game. Her 99 steals earned her the league’s steals title, and she was named to the All-Defensive First Team.

The 30-year-old averaged a career-high 14.4 ppg across 39 regular-season games with the Valkyries. She also became the first All-Star starter in franchise history, earning her second consecutive selection.

Williams scored a game-high 26 points in Golden State’s 68-64 Game 1 victory over Atlanta, including 6 points from the free-throw line during the team’s closing 7-0 run.

She added 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in Game 4 as the Valkyries tied the series at two games apiece. Williams struggled offensively in Monday’s Game 5, finishing with 9 points on 3-for-14 shooting, but Golden State still won 64-55.

In the WNBA Finals, the French-American forward is averaging 16.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, and 2.6 spg. She remains Golden State’s leading scorer in the series despite her shooting struggles.

Parker using the Toronto Raptors star as a comparison for Golden State’s do-it-all forward makes sense. Although listed at just 5-foot-11, Williams can guard several positions and take assignments against opposing teams’ leading scorers.

The Valkyries finished the regular season with the WNBA’s best defensive rating, while she earned her third All-Defensive Team selection and was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.

Golden State will have its first opportunity to clinch the championship Thursday in Atlanta. Williams enters Game 6 with 81 points and 13 steals in the series, and another strong performance on the WNBA’s biggest stage would give Barkley’s assessment even more weight.