Former Husky Williams gets buoyed by the bronze
By Alexa Philippou
Another Husky is an Olympic medalist.
Former UConn women’s basketball star Gabby Williams, who played in Storrs from 2014-2018 and won two national titles with the Huskies, helped guide France to a bronze-medal finish in the Tokyo Olympics, capped by a 91-76 win over Serbia on Saturday.
Williams saved her best performance for last, finishing with 17 points (6-of-9 shooting, 4 of 5 on 3s), eight rebounds and four assists against Serbia. She averaged 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the tournament, showing off her well-known versatility.
Winning bronze was no doubt extra sweet for Williams given that her desire to compete with France this summer cost her a chance to play in the WNBA in 2021.
The Chicago Sky, whom Williams had played for since being drafted in 2018, suspended her for the entire season when she did not show up to training camp. General manager/head coach James Wade said at the time he didn’t want to start the season with fewer than 10 players, and he and Williams did not have an agreement where she could return to the U.S. and play with the Sky following the Olympics. Prior to Tokyo, Williams also had French national team commitments for EuroBasket.
Williams eventually demanded a trade and signed a contract extension with the Los Angeles Sparks worth $144,000 for 2022. Once she was suspended by the Sky, though, it ruled her out of playing at all in the WNBA in 2021, even following her trade.
Williams told ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel last week that the suspension surprised her because she
“thought [she and the Sky] had an understanding” allowing her to return to Chicago to play with the team following her commitments to Les Bleues.
“It was extremely shocking, to say the least,” Williams told Voepel. “It was a complicated situation with me having to miss so many games, but I thought from the get-go there was never an expectation for me to be at [WNBA] training camp.”
On Saturday, Williams said it was all worth it.
“It’s the Olympics,” Williams said after the bronze-medal game according to the Associated Press. “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s the biggest stage in the world, and it’s so much emotion.
“There’s only one shot at the Tokyo Olympics. This will never happen again. I made the right choice. I did what I was supposed to do, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Williams was a crucial part of France’s success in Tokyo.
The team went 1-2 in pool play, including a 93-82 loss to the U.S., but survived the first knockout game with a nail-biting 67-64 win over Spain in which Williams hit 3 of 4 free throws in the final 1 minute, 21 seconds to help the French pull ahead for good.
“In college, i made 1 3 pointer in 4 years, and my freshman year I shot 40% from the free throw line… when i tell you i worked my ass off to get here !” Williams tweeted following the quarterfinal, where she also went 2 of 4 from beyond the arc.
France eventually got blown out by host Japan in the semifinals but finished on a high note with the win over Serbia. This is Les Bleues’ second Olympic medal after taking home silver in London in 2012.
“I’m finally happy playing basketball again,” Williams told
Voepel. “Basketball is fun for me. And I feel like I’m becoming the player I’ve always wanted to strive to be.”
Williams becomes the 12th Husky women’s basketball player to medal at the Olympics (and second for a non-U.S. country), joining Rebecca Lobo (1996), Kara Wolters (2000), Sue Bird (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), Swin Cash (2004, 2012), Diana Taurasi (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), Tina Charles (2012, 2016), Asjha Jones (2012), Maya Moore (2012, 2016), Breanna Stewart (2016) and Stefanie Dolson (3x3, 2020). Svetlana Abrosimova also won bronze with Russia in 2008. Napheesa Collier will become the 13th Husky to medal later Saturday, when the U.S. plays Japan in the gold-medal match.