WNBA Team Didn’t Heed Gabby Williams’ Warning as She Reveals Major Problem

The Chicago Sky selected Gabby Williams as the fourth overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, ignoring her warning about holding a French passport. This oversight would later create significant complications for both Williams and the Sky.

During an appearance on Azzi Fudd’s podcast Fudd Around and Find Out on Thursday, Williams addressed the situation after being asked why she missed the entire 2021 WNBA season while playing for France.

"Things were not going great for me in Chicago as it was. I think it was very obvious it wasn't the right fit. I was honest with them, even before draft night, they called me like 'Oh, we heard that you have a French passport' and I was like 'Yeah, don't draft me if that's a problem.' And they still drafted me and that became a problem," Williams said.

Williams ended up missing the whole 2021 season because she was committed to France’s Olympic run, which had been pushed back a year by the pandemic. That decision didn’t sit well with the Chicago Sky, who were unhappy that she chose national team duty over joining the team for training camp.

This ultimately led to the Sky suspending her and trading her to the LA Sparks. However, due to the suspension carrying over, Williams never played for the Sparks. She was later traded to the Seattle Storm in February 2022 in exchange for Katie Lou Samuelson and the ninth pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft.

In Seattle, Williams has taken clear steps forward, turning steady growth into a true breakout season. She posted career highs of 11.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, a surge that earned her both her first All-Star selection and a place on the All-Defensive First Team.

Gabby Williams once hit back at the league for treating foreign players differently from Americans

Gabby Williams has always been an outspoken character and once clapped back at the WNBA for its differing treatment of foreign and American players. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda’s Mike Medina in September 2024, she addressed the issue directly.

"When it comes to national teams, foreigners are punished and Americans aren’t," Williams said. "If I had signed a contract and gone to France, I would’ve been suspended for two years, all because I wanted to play for my national team. That would never happen for the Americans."

The Seattle guard's statement stemmed from the WNBA's prioritization rule, which mandates a season-long suspension for players who fail to report to their team at the start of the league calendar.