Gabby Williams

Last updated
Gabby Williams
Gabby Williams (cropped).jpg
Williams in 2019
Personal information
Born (1996-09-09) September 9, 1996 (age 27)
Sparks, Nevada, U.S.
NationalityAmerican / French
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight172 lb (78 kg)
Career information
High school Reed (Sparks, Nevada)
College UConn (2014–2018)
WNBA draft 2018: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Chicago Sky
Playing career2018–present
Position Power forward
Career history
2018–2021 Chicago Sky
2018–2019Dike Basket Napoli
2019 Uni Girona CB
2019–2020 Lattes-Montpellier
2020–2022 Sopron
2022 Seattle Storm
2022–present ASVEL
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Representing Flag of France.svg  France
Olympic Games
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2020 Tokyo Team
EuroBasket
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2021 Spain/France

Gabrielle Lisa Williams (born September 9, 1996) is an American-French professional basketball player. She was drafted 4th overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2018 WNBA draft. In 2022 she was a EuroLeague champion with Sopron and was named the Final Four MVP. Williams played forward for the UConn women's basketball team, and won back to back national championships in 2015 and 2016. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Career

High school career basketball

Williams is the daughter of Matthew and Therese Williams and played basketball at Edward C. Reed High School [4] in Sparks, Nevada. As a sophomore she averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, and seven steals per game in leading Reed to the Class 4A state title. Williams had 15 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists in a semifinal win over Foothill, then had 24 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the championship game win over Reno and was named the Las Vegas Review-Journal Class 4A state Player of the Year. During her junior year, Williams was averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and seven blocked shots per game when she suffered a completely torn anterior cruciate ligament and partially-torn meniscus in her right knee on Jan. 19 just 30-seconds into a game against rival Reno High. [5] She had season-ending surgery Feb. 11 and was cleared to return to full basketball activity Oct. 10.

High school career track and field

Williams was a very accomplished multi-event track and field athlete. She was named the Gatorade Nevada Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year, honoring the best track and field athlete in high school while still a freshman. She competed in the state meet, finishing second in the 100 meter hurdles and third in the 300 meter hurdles as well as helping the 4 x 400 meter relay team finish second. She cleared 5'8" in the high jump, which ranked number 36 among all high school players in the nation. As a sophomore, she repeated as the Gatorade Nevada Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. At the state championships, she won the 100 meter hurdles as well as the 300 meter hurdles and cleared 5'11" to win the high jump. At a regional meet she cleared 6 feet 1.5 inches, which ranked as the top performance among high school competitors at the time and was second best among all of Division I. At the Olympic trials in 2012, she cleared 6 feet 2+1⁄4 inches to finish in fifth place among all competitors, while still too young to be eligible for the US world Junior team, although she qualified as an alternate for the 2012 London Olympics. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

College career

Williams (#15) in 2017 Gabby Williams 2017 Regional versus Oregon.jpg
Williams (#15) in 2017

Williams helped UConn reach a 148–3 record over her four-year career, which included four Final Four appearances and back to back National Championships. She had one of only five Huskies triple-doubles in school history. One of only eight Huskies, along with Tina Charles, Rebecca Lobo, Maya Moore, Stefanie Dolson, Jamelle Elliott, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier with at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Williams finished her career 22nd on UConn's all-time scoring list at 1,582 career points, seventh with 1,007 career rebounds, 13th in assists (481) and fifth in steals (305). Williams was named the 2017 American Athletic Conference and WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year and 2018 Lowe's Senior Class Award. [6]


Awards and honors

Williams in 2018 Williams3-20180914.jpg
Williams in 2018

WNBA

Williams was drafted 4th overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky. On May 9, 2021, it was announced that Williams was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks. On February 3, 2022, Williams was acquired by the Seattle Storm in a trade that sent Katie Lou Samuelson, and the 9th overall pick in 2022 WNBA Draft to the Sparks. [15]

Overseas career

In 2018, Williams signed with Dike Basket Napoli of the Italian First Division. [16] In January 2019, after the week 14th her team withdrew from the championships. [17] Williams signed to Spar CityLift Girona in late February 2019 to replace Shay Murphy, who left the team for family reasons and returned to the United States. [18] [19] With Girona, she won the 2018–19 Spanish First Division. [20]

Sopron Basket

On 15 May 2020, Williams signed to Sopron Basket with former UConn teammate Megan Walker. [21] On April 10, 2022, Williams won the 2021–22 EuroLeague Women championship with Sopron Basket, while being named Final Four MVP after the final. [22]

ASVEL Féminin

On 15 June 2022, Williams signed to LDLC ASVEL. [23]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

College

YearTeamGPPointsFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2014–15 Connecticut 38316.637.000.4625.71.31.20.48.3
2015–16 Connecticut 38336.636.000.7505.61.31.90.38.8
2016–17 Connecticut 37528.581.166.7228.35.12.71.414.3
2017–18 Connecticut 36402.604.000.7247.45.32.40.611.2
Career1491,582.610.083.6576.83.22.00.610.6

WNBA

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2018 Chicago 343023.0.432.269.7834.31.61.60.21.17.3
2019 Chicago 33216.0.414.171.7252.22.10.70.21.75.6
2020 Chicago 22424.8.424.286.6404.02.01.30.21.77.7
2022 Seattle 363625.6.444.257.7785.03.11.50.41.47.5
2023 Seattle 10828.5.362.217.8463.63.81.50.42.28.4
Career5 years, 2 teams1358022.7.423.248.7513.92.31.30.31.57.1

Series Elimination

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2019 Chicago 209.5.250.0001.0000.53.02.00.00.03.0
2020 Chicago 1032.0.429.4001.0005.02.02.00.01.016.0
2022 Seattle 4425.3.667.333.8574.02.81.50.31.510.0
Career3 years, 2 teams7421.7.522.333.9093.12.71.40.11.08.9


Overseas

National competition

†Denotes seasons in which Williams won a National championships
Regular season
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2018–19Dike Basket Napoli Flag of Italy.svg LBF
2018–19 † Spar Girona Flag of Spain.svg LFB
2019–20* BLMA Flag of France.svg LFB 161229.0.496.344.6585.92.02.10.51.415.9
2020–21 † Sopron Basket Flag of Hungary.svg NB I/A 181723.2.579.390.7764.42.91.50.40.714.5
2021–22 †151423.8.563.321.7445.73.71.30.41.912.7
2022–23 ASVEL Flag of France.svg LFB

* 2019–20 LFB season interrupted after the 16th round due to COVID-19 pandemic

Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2018–19 † Spar Girona Flag of Spain.svg LFB
2019–20 BLMA Flag of France.svg LFB LFB playoff canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 † Sopron Basket Flag of Hungary.svg NB I/A
2021–22 †

Olympics

Although Williams was born and raised in the United States, her mother is French and she has extended family living in France, so she qualified for inclusion on the French national team. [24] Her Olympic experience was not her first experience with the French team, as she played for Les Bleues in the 2021 Eurobasket competition, helping the team to win silver. [25] Williams averaged 8.2 points per game in that competition. [26]

The decision to play for the Olympic team was not without cost. Many of the Olympic players, not just for the USA, but for several other teams play for the WNBA, whose regular-season typically runs through the summer months. To accommodate the Olympics, the WNBA typically takes a month-long break in the season during Olympic years. However, William's commitments to the French national team interfered with her ability to show up at training camp for the Chicago Sky. She told ESPN's Mechelle Voepel that she thought she had reached an understanding with the team regarding her commitments but the team disagreed, suspended her from the team and traded her to the Los Angeles Sparks. She will be a member of the Sparks now that the Olympics are over, but because she was suspended, she is ineligible to play the season so her decision to play for the French national team cost her an entire WNBA season. [27]

In the opening game of the preliminary rounds, France faced Japan. France was ranked fifth in the world at the time while Japan was 10th, [28] but Japan was playing in their home country, and upset France 74–70. Williams played 31 minutes, more than any other player on her team. France was allocated to group B, which also included the USA and Nigeria. While France could advance even with a loss to the USA, they would not advance to the knockout stage if they lost to Nigeria, so they found themselves in a must win situation in just their second game. France "righted the ship .. against Nigeria", winning 87–62. [29] Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds (tied for top on the team) just missing a double double. She also led the team in steals. [29]

In the game against USA, which has not lost an Olympic game since 1992, the Americans again prevailed, but France kept the game close, finally losing 93–82. Voepel noted that Williams was called a "Swiss Army knife" due to her versatility, and this game epitomizes that appellation. [30] She was the only member of the French team to record results in five statistical categories: points (10), rebounds (5), assists (3), steals (6), and blocks (1). In the knockout round, France faced Spain and just managed to come away with a win 67-64. Williams was one of the two French players with double-digit scoring, recording 11 points in 29 minutes. The semi-final match was against Japan who had never won an Olympic medal but was now playing for a chance to make it to the gold-medal game on their home territory. Japan won 87–71. Williams played a team-high 26 minutes and recorded eight rebounds, more than any other player on either team.

In the bronze medal game, France faced Serbia, who had beaten France for the Eurobasket championship less than two months earlier. [25] Serbia started out strong, and led 23–19 at the end of the first quarter. France battled back, taking the lead with less than a minute left in the half. They never relinquished the lead and ended up winning by 15 points 91–76. [29] While Williams had played well up to this point, she saved her best for last, hitting four of her five three-point attempts, tying for the team lead in assists and the only player on her team to record a block and a steal in the game. [29] She was the leading scorer for her team with 17 points. [31] [32]

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References

  1. ↑ "Gabby Williams starting to make impact for UConn women". New Haven Register. February 15, 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Gabby Williams Makes The Most Of Her Time". Hartford Courant. February 29, 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "UConn looks to have Gabby Williams step up". ESPN. April 4, 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Gabby Williams". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "Basketball: Gabby Williams selects UConn". USA Today. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  6. 1 2 "15 Gabby Williams". Uconnhuskies.com. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  7. ↑ "REED HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE NEVADA GIRLS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR" (PDF). gatorade.com. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  8. ↑ "REED HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED GATORADE NEVADA GIRLS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETE OF THE YEAR" (PDF). gatorade.com. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Gabby Williams, 15, soaring toward the Olympic Trials in high jump". ESPN.com. 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  10. ↑ "Gabby Williams leaps to US#1 HJ and a huge ovation from Hayward Field crowd". ESPN.com. 2012-07-01. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  11. ↑ "USBWA > All-America > Women". www.sportswriters.net. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
  12. ↑ Little, Josh. "Reed alum Gabby Williams earns All-American honors" . Retrieved 2017-04-01.
  13. ↑ "Gabby Williams, Tanaya Atkinson take home AAC awards" . Retrieved 2017-04-01.
  14. ↑ "Women's Final Four: South Carolina beats Mississippi State to win first national title". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  15. ↑ Maloney, Jack (2021-05-09). "After suspending Gabby Williams for the season, Sky trade her to Sparks for Stephanie Watts". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
  16. ↑ "Former UConn Women's Basketball Star Gabby Williams Signs With Italian Team". 2018-08-18. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  17. ↑ "Serie A1 femminile, la Dike Basket Napoli rinuncia al campionato" (in Italian). 2019-01-24. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  18. ↑ "Gabby Williams, sustituta de Shay Murphy en Girona" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  19. ↑ "Shay Murphy: «Estic trista perquè no volia marxar, però ara la meva família em necessita»" (in Spanish). 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  20. ↑ "El Girona logra su segunda Liga y frena la hegemonía del Perfumerías Avenida". www.elmundo.es (in Spanish). 2019-05-05. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  21. ↑ "Gabby Williams portré – bemutatkozik a Sopron Basket új igazolása". wbasket.hu (in Hungarian). 16 May 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  22. ↑ "Sopron Basket capture first EuroLeague Women title". FIBA.basketball. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  23. ↑ "Gabby Williams arrive à l'Asvel féminin". www.lequipe.fr (in French). 15 June 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  24. ↑ Connolly, Daniel (2021-07-05). "Former UConn star Gabby Williams named to French Olympic team". The UConn Blog. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  25. 1 2 "Serbia proclaimed FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 champions after defeating France in Final". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  26. ↑ "Players statistics of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  27. ↑ "Gabby Williams 'Made the right choice' as France wins Olympic bronze". Just Women's Sports. 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  28. ↑ "FIBA World Ranking Presented by NIKE, women". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  29. 1 2 3 4 "Gabby Williams Olympic Updates". Los Angeles Sparks. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  30. ↑ "Williams: Olympics 'where I'm supposed to be'". ESPN.com. 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  31. ↑ Ward, Zachary (2021-08-07). "France wins bronze in Tokyo with key contributions from Williams, Gruda". Swish Appeal. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  32. ↑ Philippou, Alexa (7 August 2021). "Former UConn women's basketball star Gabby Williams wins bronze with France, says her WNBA suspension worth it". courant.com. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
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