Fashion statement: How hockey’s Mariah Keopple, Valkyries’ Gabby Williams formed a unique bond

Mariah Keopple first bought a sewing machine in college, looking for a hobby to pass the time when the Ivy League hockey season was canceled due to the COVID pandemic.

Five years later, her work was shown off at a runway show during her Professional Women’s Hockey League season, and a WNBA superstar wanted to hire her as a stylist.

That’s how Keopple and Gabby Williams partnered in Seattle, long before either knew they would end up Bay Area women’s sports stars.

“I just wanted to learn how to sew,” Keopple said. “… I didn’t expect someone like Gabby.”

Keopple is now preparing for her first season with the expansion PWHL club in San Jose while Williams is having a career season for the Golden State Valkyries. They first met last year when Keopple, then a member of the PWHL’s Seattle Torrent, invited Williams to a fashion show while they were both at a Seattle Kraken game with their respective teams.

Wanting to get to know members of one of the other pro women’s teams in town better, and in Seattle longer than usual because she was rehabbing a knee injury, she went for fun.

“I ended up loving every single piece,” Williams said.

Keopple, who owns the fashion label “Riah the Label,” designed Williams’ black resin corset and high-waisted skirt outfit she wore at the WNBA All-Star orange carpet event at the 2026 All-Star Game in Chicago.

Williams enjoys Schiaparelli and Dior runway shows, but had never had a stylist before meeting Keopple.

“It was the first time I felt comfortable having one because when we see obviously like New York Fashion Weeks or whatever runways, you very rarely see people with athletic bodies,” Williams said. “So seeing a brand that was built by an athlete, made for athletes or at least muscular women, I felt confident in trusting her.”

Keopple herself had not considered being a stylist, especially for a public figure like Williams. She, in her mind, was still learning and improving since that first sewing machine.

It was the first show Keopple had submitted her pieces for, and she was just excited her Torrent teammates showed up. She didn’t think Williams actually would, or that they would hit it off beyond that weekend.

“I was like, am I ready for this?” Keopple said. “I just was learning as much as I could during those months (before the show) and learning new techniques and it snowballed.”

Keopple had three assists in 29 games with the Torrent last season and is known as a shutdown defender, and will likely be on the top defense pairing for San Jose this season.

In that way, she is similar to Williams on the court, who is in contention for the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Williams said she also has a similar sense of style with Keopple, rocking corsets and wide leg pants.

“It’s very rare, when I’m online picking for clothes, it’s hard to pick clothes because I know that these models don’t have my kind of body,” Williams said. “It’s also nice having Mariah because she can just try something on and be a similar size of like, ‘OK, I think this will work for you because it works for me.’”

Keopple wrote her thesis at Princeton about fashion and identity in between watching YouTube videos of different stitches to improve her own work.

Williams didn’t mind the lack of experience; their vibes worked together.

“I was shocked, because I had seen some pieces she wore and really loved them,” Keopple said. “But we got connected and it was great.”

Now that they’re both in the Bay, Williams expects even more collabs. Keopple was the PWHL San Jose representative at Tuesday’s Chase Center announcement that the Valkyries would host the 2027 WNBA All-Star Game.

“It’s great logistically,” Williams smiled.

Williams hasn’t actually gotten to see Keopple play since she was overseas with Turkish team Fenerbahçe during the PWHL season.

She hopes to see her with the PWHL San Jose franchise this winter for her first hockey experience.

“I’m excited to go see her play,” Williams said. “She’s been to my games and has supported me, so I’m excited to support her.”