The Seattle Storm drilled Gabby Williams, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton reported Tuesday. This means the versatile winger will be offered a one-year contract at the WNBA’s highest possible salary ($249,244) — and that she is unable to sign with another team as a free agent this offseason. However, historically, some players have requested trades after earning the starting assignment, so this move does not necessarily mean Williams will remain in Seattle. Regardless, it guarantees that if she goes elsewhere, Storm will at least get some value in return.
Williams, widely considered one of the sport’s elite defenders, signed with the Storm midway through the season after spending the first half of the season with the French national team, who went on to win Olympic silver. In 12 games with the Storm, she averaged a career-high 10.3 points, along with 4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
But the season ended in disappointment. The Storm were swept by the Aces in the second round of the playoffs and entered the offseason with both Nneka Ogwumike and Williams as top free agents.
In December, Jewell Lloyd reportedly requested a trade from Seattle, According to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times. Loyd, a six-time All-Star, has been with the organization since being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, and has one more year left on her contract. Loyd is fresh off the most efficient season of her WNBA career, in which she averaged 19.7 points on 36% shooting, including 27.4% from three.
If Williams wants out, the Storm could look to trade her for Loyd this offseason, which would change what some expected to be on the WNBA’s top teams heading into the 2024 season. But, if Williams stays in Seattle, she could potentially emerge as a cornerstone of the franchise, Along with Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith.
Many had previously speculated that Williams signed with Storm under the pretext that they would not use the primary title on her. But sources He told ESPN “Williams and her representatives were not surprised by Seattle’s decision to use the primary designation on her and have been working closely with the Storm to determine its next steps.”
Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum headline the WNBA
Teams can only use one starting title per season, and players can only hold the position twice in their WNBA career. Williams is the fourth player to be named a starter from her former team, joining Sato Sabally (Dallas Wings), Brianna Stewart (New York Liberty), and Kelsey Bloom (Las Vegas Aces). Stewart is widely expected to remain with the Liberty after helping the team to its first-ever championship last season, while Sabally has already told the Wings that she played her last game ever with the organization — so expect a trade from Dallas. Bloom’s future with Las Vegas is unclear at this point.
Additional WNBA teams could be key players in the coming days. The Golden State Valkyries could give Monique Billings a starting lineup, though their past production hasn’t quite mirrored that of most talented players. the Connecticut Sun Core could Alyssa Thomas, for example. The Chicago Sky could theoretically include a player like Chendy Carter.
If Seattle were to use the primary rankings, Williams was the likely candidate. Ogwumike, a former MVP and WNBA champion, has held the position twice in her career, and thus was not eligible for the starting title again.
