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Gabby Williams has accepted a core qualifying offer from the Seattle Storm, and will return a one-year deal, first reported by Roberta Rodrigues, and confirmed by Alexa Philippou of ESPN. Williams only played 12 games during the 2024 season for the Seattle Storm due to her commitment overseas, but her return to the WNBA gave her team a much-needed boost to make the playoffs. She averaged 10.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.7 APG during her 2024 campaign, which is formidable as she hopped straight into action with a newly constructed team in Seattle.
Williams was cored by the Storm on Jan. 14, no longer making her an unrestricted free agent. The core designation, prioritization clause, and other circumstances caused Williams to take a step back from the WNBA over the past two seasons. She’s been very vocal about how the league treats its players and spoke candidly about why prioritization was a problem for overseas players. With fresh stateside leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, Williams’ basketball interest could keep her in the states more consistently than previous years.
Williams is a 5’11” forward whose presence, dominance, and defense is felt all over the court. While she may seem undersized for her position, Williams can hang with the best of the wings in the league thanks to her athleticism. Her size and agility make her a strong and foundational piece that teammates, coaches, and general managers are interested in building around or playing with. The Storm have added in key pieces during free agency to entice Williams’ return like re-signing Nneka Ogwumike, acquiring free agent and two-time Storm champion Alysha Clark, and securing the No. 2 overall pick in the three-team trade involving Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Plum.
The Storm’s recent moves put them back near the top of the standings to compete for a championship. After reports of turmoil and front office and locker room conflicts, the Storm have positioned themselves for a new future. They have a core of Williams, Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Ezi Magbegor that they’re looking to build around for at least one more year. If this squad can make a deep playoffs run, it is likely the Storm can appeal to free agents next year and establish itself once again as a true contender.
