How a UConn influence is helping fuel the Valkyries in WNBA Finals
Four former UConn champions — Gabby Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes and Kaitlyn Chen — are fueling Golden State's bid to rally from 2-1 down in the WNBA Finals against Atlanta.
The Golden State Valkyries trail the Atlanta Dream 2-1 in the WNBA Finals — and their best hope of a comeback may come from Storrs, Connecticut. Four Valkyries won national championships at UConn, according to ESPN's Michael Voepel.
Gabby Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes and Kaitlyn Chen bring the Huskies' DNA to the expansion franchise, which is in its first Finals after beating Dallas 2-1 in the opening round and sweeping Las Vegas 3-0 in the semifinals.
Williams, Golden State's leading scorer this season at 14.4 points per game in the regular season and 21.2 in the playoffs, huddled her teammates around her after the second straight loss and sent them a message. "The biggest thing with UConn culture is putting the team first," she said.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma backed that idea: "Every kid that spent that time here has certain qualities that make you win championships." Stokes, who won three WNBA titles with the Aces before joining Golden State as a free agent, credited coach Nakase for valuing the Huskies pedigree: "She loves UConn players because they have the mindset, the work ethic."
Chen took the longest road — three seasons at Princeton under former UConn player Carla Berube before transferring to UConn, then going No. 30 in the 2025 draft to her home-state Valkyries. Hayes, the oldest of the four, is chasing her first WNBA title after briefly retiring at the end of 2023.
Golden State took Game 1, 68-64, in San Francisco, but Atlanta has won two straight, 79-65 and 97-71. Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.
Source: ESPN — Top Headlines — TrendWire reports stories in its own words; facts should be confirmed against the original source.