With her teammates huddled around her, Gabby Williams leaned in, seemingly looking at every one of them as she gestured and pointed emphatically. Williams’ Golden State Valkyries had just lost for the second straight game, falling behind the Atlanta Dream 2-1 in the WNBA Finals.
Williams sent a message to her teammates. Now it’s time for the Valkyries to try to send one to the Dream as they attempt to rally in the best-of-seven series, which continues Saturday (1 p.m. ET) in Game 4 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
If they can, the Valkyries will be channeling a large amount of UConn Huskies influence.
Williams is one of four Valkyries — along with Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes and Kaitlyn Chen — who won national championships at UConn. Their paths to get here and the roles they have played varied, but they all were influenced by the women’s college program that has won the most NCAA titles (12) and sent the most players (54) to the WNBA.
“Every kid that spent that time here has certain qualities that make you win championships,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma told reporters in Connecticut earlier this month. “And I don’t think I’d be overstating it that if those four were not on that team, they wouldn’t be where they are today.”
The Golden State franchise and UConn don’t have much in common in terms of history. The expansion Valkyries launched last year. Auriemma is entering his 42nd season at UConn. But under coach Natalie Nakase, the Valkyries already have developed an elite defensive commitment that Auriemma’s teams always have. Golden State’s style worked in beating the Dallas Wings 2-1 in the first round and sweeping the Las Vegas Aces 3-0 in the semifinals.
It also helped them prevail 68-64 in Game 1 of the Finals this past Saturday in San Francisco. But in Games 2 and 3, the Dream have cracked the code, flipping the Valkyries’ combined 36 turnovers into 46 points to win 79-65 on Monday in San Francisco and 97-71 on Wednesday in Atlanta.
To even the series, the Valkyries need to make Game 4 on Saturday look more like Game 1. Cutting down on turnovers is the first job, but getting back their swag is important, too. The No. 2 Valkyries are the higher seed, and they knocked off the defending-champion Aces. But Golden State hasn’t looked like that team since halftime of Game 2.
Williams’ animated postgame callout to her teammates could help reignite the fire.
“I think passion and emotion in sports is huge,” Nakase said. “What’s really good about our team is we embrace it. We love the fight. We love the screaming.”
Even if they don’t all show it the same way.
“This is the Finals, is it not emotional?” Stokes said, then added with her trademark deadpan humor, “Not everyone is emotionless like me.”
Hayes — who is more on the passionate side in her playing style and personality — is the oldest of the “West Coast Huskies.” The 37-year-old guard won NCAA titles in 2009 and 2010 with UConn, then in 2012 was drafted by Atlanta. She spent her first 10 seasons with the Dream, then was traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2023.
At the end of that year, she announced her retirement, which didn’t last long. She played for Las Vegas in 2024, then joined former Aces assistant Nakase in Golden State the past two seasons.
Hayes is seeking her first WNBA title. To get it, the Valkyries must beat the franchise with which Hayes spent most of her pro career. Her UConn days might be pretty far in the rearview mirror, but she still has Huskies DNA.
“It starts with the type of players they recruit there,” Hayes said. “Being able to take constructive criticism and stay a positive person. I was that person when they recruited me, and it’s really carried with me from my time there.
“Coach always wanted me to get better, and though that came with some hard times, that’s part of growing. I really respect when people are that way with me, because it has really helped me as a player.”
Stokes has won three WNBA titles, all with the Aces. She opted to move to Golden State as a free agent this season, as did Williams, who previously was with the Seattle Storm. They were teammates for one season at UConn, 2014-15. Stokes was a senior and Williams a freshman as the Huskies went 38-1, winning the national championship.
Stokes has a more low-key, laid-back personality, but the fire can come out in her on court, especially with her specialty: defense. Stokes averaged 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the regular season, numbers that have jumped to 9.6 and 2.6 in the playoffs.
“One thing UConn taught me was to play through adversity when things aren’t going your way,” Stokes said about an attitude that can help Golden State in this series. “Geno would always make the practices so hard, the games would seem easier.”
Williams has led the Valkyries in scoring this season (14.4 PPG in the regular season and 21.2 in the playoffs). But she praises Stokes for doing all the detail-oriented things that don’t always get much acclaim yet are crucial to success, such as screening and passing.
She also cites Stokes’ mentality, which Williams shares and thinks is the hallmark of UConn’s program.
“The biggest thing with UConn culture is putting the team first,” Williams said. “Giving up a good shot for a great shot. Putting winning and culture before individual accolades.”
As for Chen, she doesn’t seem to mind being underestimated. To the contrary, she not only expects it, she has turned it into her superpower.
“She doesn’t care if other people don’t believe in her,” Nakase said. “Kaitlyn wants to be the best.”
Chen spent three seasons at Princeton playing for former UConn player Carla Berube, then transferred her senior year to UConn. Chen won the 2025 NCAA title alongside fellow guards Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, the past two WNBA No. 1 draft picks.
Chen was selected No. 30 in 2025 by the Valkyries, bringing the California native back to her home state. Third-round picks often don’t make WNBA rosters, but Chen is in her second season. She has appeared in every game in 2026, averaging 7.2 points in the regular season and 5.7 in the playoffs.
Even though Chen was at UConn just one season, with the influence of Berube’s coaching, it almost felt like she was a Huskies-type player all along.
“At UConn, you’re playing in such a specific system that really values defense and values ball control on offense,” Chen said. “I feel like it’s similar to how we do things here.
“Playing in that system, for Coach Auriemma, and also getting to play alongside so many really great players, helped me figure out how to play within my role.”
There have been so many UConn players in the WNBA, Auriemma almost always has multiple rooting interests during the playoffs. Another of his former players, Renee Montgomery, is an Atlanta Dream co-owner and executive. But on court, the Valkyries’ four former Huskies are carrying the UConn torch to the end of the WNBA season.
“I’m really proud of all of them,” Auriemma said, “and that’s probably the one team that I’ve watched play the most.”
Stokes said she doesn’t necessarily think that often about the UConn connection, since there are great WNBA players from all over. But at times she is reminded there is something tangible to it. Stokes recalled first talking to Nakase about it when both were with the Aces.
“She loves UConn players because they have the mindset, the work ethic,” Stokes said. “They understand the game.”
Alexa Philippou contributed to this report.
