Gabby Williams is officially back in the WNBA.
The Seattle Storm on Tuesday announced they have signed Williams to a rest-of-season contract for the 2024 WNBA Playoff push. The signing comes nine days after Williams nearly led France to an upset of Team USA in the gold medal game at the Paris Olympics.
Williams, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, was one of the top performers during the Paris Olympics, earning a spot on the tournament's All-Star Five . Her performance also caused many in the basketball world to wonder why she was playing for the host nation and why she wasn't rostered on a WNBA team.
Despite her status as one of the best players in the world, Williams last appeared in a WNBA game with the Storm during the 2023 season. As she returns for a second stint with Seattle, here's a closer look at why Williams is just now returning to the WNBA and what her addition means to the Storm.
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Why Gabby Williams waited until after Olympics to rejoin WNBA
Williams has been vocal about her qualms with the WNBA's prioritization rule, which went into effect ahead of the 2023 season.
"I still think the prioritization thing is ridiculous. I'm sorry, I'll say it. Like literally, I'm only here because I got concussed," Williams said in 2023 .
"Something has to give. France needs to have shorter seasons, or the WNBA needs to [allow players] to make money and do both. And no, this doesn't give me any hope that I can do both."
The rule, which can be found in the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement , requires players to prioritize the WNBA, meaning other offseason playing obligations must be completed playing before opening day of the WNBA season.
Williams, whose mother is French, spent the last two seasons playing for French club ASVEL. Because of the overlap in when the French league ends and the WNBA begins as well as her Olympic obligations, Williams did not expect to play in the WNBA during the 2024 season.
In 2023, Williams was only able to circumvent prioritization rules because a concussion ended her season in France early, opening the door for a WNBA return. One year later, she returns to a Storm team that looks much different than it did the last time she suited up.
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What Gabby Williams brings to the Seattle Storm
The Storm entered the year with high expectations after adding Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith during a transformative offseason. Williams adds more talent to a Seattle team that is fully entrenched in a seeding battle and has championship aspirations.
While Williams is not completely a new addition, she is part of a new crop of talented players that will support franchise cornerstone Jewell Loyd and rising star Ezi Magbegor. As Williams displayed during the Olympics, she is capable of doing a bit of everything but defense is her calling card.
In addition to earning a spot on the Olympics All-Star Five, Williams was also crowned the tournament's best defensive player. She can add that to a list of accolades that also includes a WNBA All-Defensive First Team selection in 2022.
It may take some time for Williams to find her spots in Seattle's offense, but she will immediately make the team's defense scarier than it already was. The Storm now lean further into an identity that will make them an extremely tough out during the playoffs.
At the time of Williams' signing, Seattle is firmly in the top five in the WNBA standings but sits just 2.5 games back of second place with a month to go.
Even if the Storm are unable to leap into the top two, they'll look to move back into the top four to secure home court in the opening round of the playoffs. Adding Williams is a big enough splash to give Seattle a big push for the season's stretch run.
Gabby Williams stats
WNBA career
- 135 games
- 7.1 points per game
- 3.9 rebounds per game
- 2.3 assists per game
- 1.3 steals per game
- 0.3 blocks per game
- 1.5 turnovers per game
- 42.3 percent field goal shooting
- 24.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 75.1 percent free throw shooting
2024 Paris Olympics
- 6 games
- 15.5 points per game
- 4.7 rebounds per game
- 4.8 assists per game
- 2.8 steals per game
- 0.2 blocks per game
- 1.7 turnovers per game
- 48.0 percent field goal shooting
- 31.8 percent 3-point shooting
- 70.0 percent free throw shooting
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