Gabby Williams helps lead second-year Valkyries into WNBA semifinals against defending champion Aces

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A year ago, the Golden State Valkyries made history by reaching the playoffs as an expansion team, then had to host their only home game nearly 50 miles away because Chase Center had been booked before they even existed by the Laver Cup tennis showcase. They wound up losing to the Minnesota Lynx by one point.

A year ago, Gabby Williams played for the Seattle Storm and her now-teammates with Golden State had no way of knowing just how much her addition would matter in the franchise taking its next major step.

“I came here just because I just wanted someone to believe in me, that's really it, in the league at least,” Williams said of proving herself in the WNBA after previous success internationally.

Oh, everybody does now — no doubt about that.

The second-seeded Valkyries are on to the WNBA semifinals for a date with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, who will have to deal with Golden State's devoted, delirious “sixth man” home crowd in San Francisco.

Game 1 in the best-of-five series is Sunday afternoon at Chase Center, with raucous “Ballhalla” clamoring and ready for another round of playoff basketball.

The Valkyries had to rally from 16 points down to get past Dallas 77-73 in the deciding Game 3 of the first round Friday night.

“Amazing after all that hard work of fighting and clawing back, doing it with this team, it was amazing,” said guard Tiffany Hayes, who scored 18 points off the bench in the first-round clincher. “I can’t think of any other word but amazing. Just proud and grateful to be here with this team.”

No arguing the Aces believe in A'ja Wilson, their do-everything, reigning MVP center and the WNBA's leading scorer this season at 26 points per game. She's the league's top shot blocker, too.

Still, Wilson insists she is determined to do more. She scored 36 points as the Aces eliminated Caitlin Clark and the Fever in their Game 3.

“That's my approach to what I do every single time I step foot on the court," she said. “I know that everyone's going to try to be their best against me. If not they're going to be their best against me because of the resume or because the team that I'm on. And so I can't take any days off. I have to constantly keep my guard up because if I want to continue to be the best and be on the best team with the best players I've got to hold my end of the stick.”

There's plenty of familiarity with these teams: Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase was an assistant under Becky Hammon with the Aces from 2022–24 as Las Vegas captured consecutive titles in 2022 and '23.

In Friday's clincher, Nakase went down to her knees on the court with 1:40 left appearing to not feel well. The team said afterward she was fine and expected to coach Sunday in Game 1 but assistant coach Kasib Powell addressed the media in a postgame news conference where she typically speaks.

Williams can't wait for everything this series will bring her way. She scored 19 points in the clinching win to wrap up the first round against Dallas on Friday night.

“I love these situations, I love high-pressure situations,” she said. “I'm best when I don't have a choice but to do my best so I like being put into that position.”

Williams hit a go-ahead 17-footer with 1:17 remaining Friday and had two 3-pointers late in the third quarter to help fuel the comeback.

“Big shot Gabby,” as Hayes called her. “She's our leader, she's the one we go to, and she showed you exactly why she is who she is.”

With little fanfare, the soft-spoken Williams alongside fellow veterans Veronica Burton and Hayes has taken the Valkyries to another level: They earned the No. 2 seed and energized a diverse Bay Area fan base that has embraced this franchise since Day 1.

"We definitely owe Ballhalla a big thank you for tonight," Williams said.

Williams is clearly thriving in her new surroundings.

Before calling it a night from her postgame news conference, she added a final observation of how she defended Paige Bueckers:

“Also, I blocked Paige's shot at the end and I did not get credited.”

And she knows there will be more stingy defense needed in the next round.

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes celebrates after scoring against the Dallas Wings during the second half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes, from left, celebrates with guard Kaitlyn Chen, guard-forward Kaila Charles and guard Veronica Burton after Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Wings, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton (22) shoots against Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) and guard Paige Bueckers (5) during the second half of Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrates with teammates after Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Wings, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrates after Game 3 of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Wings, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

CAIRO (AP) — The co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of an Israel-bound flight with an ax and trying to seize the controls was an Omani national who had been barred from flying on his country’s airline because of concerns about extremist views, officials said Saturday.

The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and a Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The United Arab Emirates, which is leading the investigation, said the co-pilot attacked with the cockpit’s crash ax and tried to take control of the plummeting plane in a “terrorist attack" Wednesday. His actions nearly crashed the flight with 182 people on board before passengers and others rushed in and subdued him.

The new details raised questions about how thoroughly FlyDubai vets potential employees, and how the co-pilot's presence on a flight filled with Israeli passengers got past Israel's strict security protocols.

Israel has said it has agreements with foreign carriers to keep pilots of nations without diplomatic ties from flying there. Israel and Oman don’t have formal diplomatic relations. The UAE government has earned a reputation for effective measures against extremist activities but has bristled in the past over criticism of security lapses.

The incident occurred at a sensitive time for Israel, a week before the anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. It also came weeks before a highly contentious election in which security, and Oct. 7 security failures, have been central issues.

Separately, a regional official and a person familiar with the matter said the co-pilot had been barred from flying by Oman over concerns that he had adopted extremist views. The official said he was moved to an administrative job at Oman Air. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. They gave no details about the alleged extremist views.

The co-pilot was later hired by UAE-based airline FlyDubai, the person said. It wasn't immediately clear to what extent the co-pilot was vetted. The Gulf diplomat said he had undergone standard security checks before being hired, but it appears that the checks focused on whether he had been convicted of criminal charges and didn’t go deeper into examining his background for potential signs of radicalization.

The regional official also said security agencies from four regional countries were working to establish the co-pilot’s motives, aided by the United States and other Western governments. The Gulf diplomat said the investigation, which hasn't concluded, hasn’t found any connections with militant groups, suggesting that the co-pilot acted on his own.

The regional official said the co-pilot was born in the UAE and his mother is Syrian. He obtained Omani nationality from his father, also an Omani national. The regional official also said the co-pilot had traveled to Syria, with no details.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization,” but provided no evidence. There was no immediate comment Saturday from Israel’s government.

A FlyDubai spokesperson said in an email that the airline could not comment beyond its official statements and acknowledged “there are many questions at this stage.” There was no immediate comment from Oman Air, and Oman’s government has said nothing publicly in response to repeated questions since the incident.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Royal Air Maroc, Morocco's national carrier, said the co-pilot "completed a three-month theoretical training period with the airline in 2025, as part of the pre-employment process. At the end of this training period, his application was not selected for employment.” There were no details.

Keith Coles, a spokesperson for Buckinghamshire New University in England, told the AP that al-Hammami previously completed a distance-learning course in aviation management there but “did not undertake any pilot training.” There were no details on the timing.

Little else was immediately known about the co-pilot’s background. His Instagram account was active until the day of the flight and then deleted.

Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University in England who wrote a book about aircraft hijackings and bombings, said background check systems differ from country to country and there are limits on what types of information can be shared.

“In terms of aviation security itself, obviously we want to have as robust background checks as possible. But there are huge limitations on doing background checks in any case, especially in cross-border checks,” he said.

Airlines are generally required to carry crash axes in the cockpit that could be used in an emergency to break open a window to escape or break open a panel to access a fire.

The captain, who was badly wounded, has said he used his remaining energy while being attacked to unlock the cockpit door, allowing people who had noticed alarming sounds to come in, tackle the co-pilot and stabilize the flight while passengers screamed.

In a phone call with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, the flight's captain, Smit Machchhar, said that before the attack, the co-pilot wanted to pray, and that he turned away out of respect. He said he felt a blow to the back of his head a few minutes later, and then the blows kept coming.

Netanyahu told Machchhar that he was amazed at his courage and his ability to stay cool under impossible conditions. “You saved so many souls. ... You saved the spirit of the world,” he said.

The plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a descent so extreme that part of the rudder was torn away, and aviation experts have marveled that it didn't crash. FlyDubai has said crew traveling on the plane helped to stabilize it and land. They haven't been publicly identified.

The captain and co-pilot were later taken to the UAE. The passengers, most of them Israeli, flew home later Wednesday on a separate plane, to cheers.

Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Anna from Jerusalem. AP Washington bureau chief Anna Johnson in Washington, Transportation Writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and reporter Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed.

In this image taken from video provided by a passenger, a man identified by the passenger as the co-pilot of FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, accused of attacking the captain during the flight, sits with blood on the back of his head after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Shota Musayev/UGC via AP)

In this photo provided by the Government of Dubai Media Office, Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, left, visits injured Indian Flydubai Capt. Smit Machchhar at a hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (Government of Dubai Media Office via AP)

Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun, with blood stains on his shirt, who was aboard a Flydubai aircraft that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, is welcomed at the arrivals gate at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Tomer Appelbaum)

Passengers who experienced an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, during a flight on FlyDubai plane, arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

This screengrab from Narendra Modi YouTube Channel shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking with FlyDubai pilot Capt. Smit Machchhar on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (Narendra Modi YouTube Channel via AP )

An FlyDubai plane carrying Israeli passengers who had earlier been aboard another FlyDubai aircraft that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia approaches Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)