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2024 Paris Olympics star finds home with WNBA contender
Gabby Williams, one of the breakout stars of the 2024 Paris Olympics in women's basketball, is headed back to the WNBA.
On Tuesday, the Seattle Storm announced they had re-signed Williams, who helped lead the French women's national team to a silver-medal finish at the Olympics earlier this month.
⛈️ GUESS WHO'S BACK ⛈️
— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) August 20, 2024
Welcome home, @gabbywilliams15!
https://t.co/AexknHfEZI pic.twitter.com/CJrlm8bqnb
Team USA won gold, narrowly avoiding an upset against France after trailing by as many as 10 points in the second half. Williams finished with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep, seven rebounds (six offensive), three steals and two assists.
Williams previously played for Seattle in 2022 and 2023. After playing in all 36 games in 2022, she only played in 10 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury last year. Due to the WNBA's prioritization rules, Williams told reporters in September 2023 that she anticipated missing the 2024 season.
"The France season goes long... We're hosting the Olympics... In 2024, it looks like it's not possible because of prioritization," Williams said at the time. (h/t The Seattle Times)
Storm general manager Talisa Rhea candidly expressed interest in Williams' potential return, saying, "We love having Gabby here. She was great while she was here, so hopefully we can continue those conversations.”
She could be a valuable boost to a team with postseason aspirations. The Storm (17-10) are fifth in the WNBA and are well-positioned to make the playoffs.
Seattle has one of the league's best defenses, ranking second in defensive rating (93.2), according to Her Hoop Stats. The Storm are first in steal rate (10.3 percent), and Williams should accentuate the team's strengths on the defensive end.
Williams was selected by the Sky with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2018 WNBA Draft and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting as a rookie. In 2022, her first season with the Storm, Williams was named Second-Team All-Defense.
Seattle was one of the busiest teams in free agency during the offseason, signing former Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike and former Mercury guard Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Nine-year veteran point guard Jewell Loyd ranks fourth in the league in points per game (20.4), while center Ezi Magbegor, in her fifth season, is second in blocks (2.4).
After finishing 11-29 last season, the franchise's worst record since its inaugural 2000 season (6-26), the Storm have made a concerted effort to return to contention. Adding Williams gives Seattle more firepower to go on a potentially deep playoff run.
More must-reads:
- The greatest WNBA teams of all time
- Sparks roll toward playoff spot with buzzer-beating win against Liberty
- The 'Name every WNBA team' quiz
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