Gabby Williams isn’t just a solid player for the WNBA’s Seattle Storm; she also spends her offseason in Turkey playing for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League. She knows a thing or two about needing to find supplemental income sources to offset her main gig.
She’s also become one of the loudest voices in the room as WNBA CBA negotiations have heated up in recent weeks.
The Storm forward appeared on Good Game with Sarah Spain on Tuesday, where she gave credit to Unrivaled for helping the WNBA. The 3-on-3 women’s basketball league tipped off last year, allowing many of the WNBA’s top players to stay stateside rather than needing to go overseas.
“I think Unrivaled saved the WNBA’s butt this year because a lot of players made it on time to training camp,” she said, via Front Office Sports. “Which is ironic that the W doesn’t like Unrivaled because the W wouldn’t have had a lot of players without Unrivaled because of prioritization.”
The prioritization rule in the current CBA fines players with two or more years of experience who are unable to rejoin their WNBA teams by the start of training camp or May 1—whichever comes first.
Williams knows better than most how that rule can impact a player. She missed most of last season while playing for the French national team and missed the entire 2o21 season while playing in France. The Chicago Sky suspended her without pay that year.
“We don’t want to play multiple seasons, that’s the whole point. But unfortunately, the income in the W just isn’t appealing enough for us to only play in the W,” Williams said, adding that she would consider leaving the WNBA altogether for a better offer from another league.
The battle between WNBA brass and players over the new CBA is sure to remain intense in the coming months. While some have criticized players for demanding more from a league that currently loses money, the league’s upcoming media deals and financial windfalls make this the most opportune time for players to be compensated fairly.
In the meantime, Unrivaled and overseas leagues will reap the benefits.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.