​SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 4: Gabby Williams #1 of the Golden State Valkyries reacts to a made basket in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Aces during the Semifinals Game One. (Kavin Mistry/Getty Images)
A former UConn women’s basketball great is challenging A’ja Wilson as the Western Conference’s top performer with the WNBA Finals drawing near – and it’s not Paige Bueckers. Gabby Williams bounced Bueckers and the Wings in the first round of the WNBA playoffs last week with multiple dazzling offensive performances, and the French international most recently gave her Golden State Valkyries a 1-0 series lead over Las Vegas in the semifinals. The 30-year-old guard posted just her third-ever triple-double on the biggest stage of her career, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to help beat the Aces 71-60 Sunday evening. Wilson, meanwhile, scored 24 points on just 8-for-21 shooting and struggled to make her typical outsized impact on the glass and as a playmaker, enough evidence for Valkyries owner Joe Lacob to make a bold claim. “Print this: Gabby Williams is the best player in the world,” Lacob told ESPN after Sunday’s game. While Williams won’t supplant Wilson on the WNBA MVP ladder when the award winner is announced later this month, several advanced stats suggest that she’s matched the four-time MVP step-for-step when the lights are brightest. Williams has maintained the highest offensive rating of any player with at least 100 minutes logged in the WNBA Playoffs and posted the second-most win shares, trailing only Wilson. Overall, she’s averaged 25 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists while maintaining a red-hot 61.3% true shooting percentage in the postseason. Williams, who played under Geno Auriemma from 2014 to 2018 and earned two second-team All-America selections, has long been recognized as one of the league’s more impactful defensive players, leading the WNBA in steals while finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting with Seattle last season. Her individual defensive statistics dipped in Golden State this season, but Williams’ presence helped mold the Valkyries into the WNBA’s most efficient defense – this stingy identity was on full display Sunday as a high-powered Aces offense shot just 34% from the floor and grabbed only two offensive rebounds. Her ascent into stardom came on the offensive end this year, posting career-highs in scoring average (14.4) and 3-point percentage (34.2%) for an outstanding Golden State team that finished the regular season on a 13-3 tear. Williams’ best scoring performance came in the postseason last week, finishing with 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting to go with seven assists and six rebounds in an overtime thriller against Dallas. Williams shines the brightest among a collection of former UConn stars in Golden State this season, who have also largely stepped up in the postseason. Veteran Tiffany Hayes led the Valkyries with 13 first-half points Friday, crucial contri