← Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird
Bird's Eye View with Sue Bird
Gabby Williams on Doing It All For the Storm & the France National Team, Plus Sue's Playoff Preview
01:35:16
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- [00:01]
Gabby Williams
Support for this show comes from Pure Leaf iced Tea. When you find yourself in the afternoon.
- [00:06]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Slump, you need the right thing to.
- [00:08]
Gabby Williams
Make you bounce back. You need Pure leaf iced tea. It's real brewed tea made in a variety of bold flavors with just the right amount of naturally occurring caffeine. You're left feeling refreshed and revitalized so you can be ready to take on what's next.
- [00:22]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
The next time you need to hit.
- [00:24]
Gabby Williams
The reset button, grab a Pure Leaf iced tea. Time for a tea break. Time for a Pure leaf. This episode is brought to you by Jack Daniels. Jack Daniels and music are made for each other. They share a rhythm in the craft of making something timeless while being a part of legendary nights. From backyard jams to sold out arenas, there's a song in every toast.
- [00:48]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Please drink responsibly.
- [00:49]
Gabby Williams
Responsibility.org, jack Daniels and Old no.
- [00:51]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
7 are registered trademarks.
- [00:52]
Gabby Williams
Tennessee Whiskey, 40% alcohol by volume. Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee that was very.
- [00:58]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You're very like memory lane. Really?
- [01:01]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. I was like, whoa.
- [01:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Hey everybody. Welcome to Bird's Eye View. Today's guest is one of the most versatile players in the game and an absolute two way threat. She is a former UConn standout. She helped lead the Huskies to two national championships before being drafted fourth overall in the 2018 WNBA Draft. Since then, she has built a reputation as an elite defender, a player who thrives in any role her team needs. And this season with the Seattle Storm, she's having an amazing year, averaging 11 and a half points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game. But it's truly her defense that sets her apart. She's currently leading the WNBA in steals, averaging 2.3 a game, winning with a league high 99 total steals. She has really embraced her dual identity. She's American, she's French, she stars for the French national team. Her impact is global. I am talking about none other than Gabby Williams. And by the way, we did do this interview before All Star, so a lot has happened since then. Before we get into the interview though, you know what time it is. It's time for Sue's view. We've got another special Suz view. Tommy is back with us and we're gonna preview the playoffs. The seatings are finally set. I don't think it's ever gone down to the last day like this for what felt like. I think it was like every spot except for two were set.
- [02:39]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
A lot of drama last. A lot of drama the last couple days. Yeah, I think I Think it'd be good. We're taping this Friday, the 12th game, start the 14th. So it'd be fun to just kind of run through each of the series, you know, get some of your X factors thing to watch, everything like that. Let's start with the only one we knew that was set earlier in the week, which was Phoenix. Liberty. Phoenix is 2:1 in the season series. My first question for you on this is how do you see the Liberty approaching the AT matchup knowing what you know about how she's played this year?
- [03:16]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, AT is somebody that I think is really going to expose you if you don't have a chance to game plan for her because she does so much. It's really hard in the course of the regular season when you're only playing Phoenix every now and then to have like a full on game plan. So I would imagine the Liberty are going to have something. I mean, I think the one thing that jumps out, you know, it's actually not just about AT but really about their whole team. They thrive when they're able to run. They thrive. And I think, you know, you mentioned the season series one stat that jumped out just when I took like a quick look before we recorded. Phoenix has. Has caused, I think it's like 17 and a half turnovers in their series with New York. So they've. They've turned New York over a lot. I think the Liberty really have to focus on that because you can't let Phoenix get out and transition. That's where AT thrives. That's where Sammy thrives. Let's like, that's where they get their. I think they get their juice from that. So it's definitely something I have my eye on.
- [04:18]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Well, it's funny because we talked about this last week about just the obvious issue. The Liberty you've had is just getting everybody on the court at the same time and just getting their, you know, getting their reps of having that. In theory, that's going to be the case starting this weekend. But even in the game, they won. Sabrina had 29, Ste didn't play. Do you think that those two things go hand in hand in terms of when they're trying to speed you up and kind of get you out of sync and you don't necessarily feel comfortable because you haven't played with the same group all year?
- [04:51]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I actually think for the Liberty, it's just going to be. It's going to have to be by committee. I don't think that they can have like you're mentioning Sabrina Playing well in their win, having 29 points, obviously, Stewie being injured for different games. I think JJ only played two of the three games, so I feel like all of that has to go out the window for the Liberty. And no one, one player can have too much pressure on themselves. No one player is going to win them that game. They're just not, that's not where any of them are individually. I don't think that's where they are as a team. They have to be, like, by committee. If you, if you look up that box score at the end of a game and, and you see the Liberty have like, four, five, six players in, like, low double figures, that's a great, that's like a great night. And they, and a win, that's a great night for them. Now, if somebody breaks out, you know, you take it. But I think that's, that's probably how the Liberty have to have to approach it.
- [05:44]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Do you, do you look at Monique as an X factor for Phoenix?
- [05:49]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, she's been, she's been their X factor pretty much the whole season, in a sense. I think she's a big reason why they've had success all along, but a really big reason why they had success early. I don't think anybody really knew who she was, didn't understand her game that well. That always happens when you have a newcomer who can kind of sneak up on you. In a league where everybody generally knows each other really well. If you're this, like, unknown, you can, you can really have, have impact early. And I think that's what got the Mercury off to such a great start, especially because they had a lot of injuries early, a lot of people in and out.
- [06:27]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
So my follow up to that, because I, I, I assume the answer is going to be yes. Was the rookie adjustment, which you've seen yourself and then you've seen with just teammates and opponents and at that position in particular, heading into this, the stakes are just different. You know, you're going to know we talk about it all the time, but it's just playoff basketball is just different. And so, like, if you're talking to her right now, what's your advice in terms of managing that?
- [06:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Man, I think I've kind of touched on it already, which is in regards to at. Which is when you get to the playoffs. Yes, playoffs are different. They're more physical. Every possession, quite literally, at times can feel like the last. Like that's how intense the intensity is going to turn up. So I talk about that. You know, you would reference that that the difference there. But the real difference is you are going to be game planned for. This isn't just like a Tuesday where maybe the other team is coming off, you know, another road game. And they just got there Monday night and they had one shoot around, one film session. And yeah, they have a game plan, but you know, who knows how much this is like you will be game planned for. Everything you do will be picked. No, everything you do will be picked apart. Everything your team does will be picked apart. Things will be taken away. And I think that is where the mental aspect of all of it really kicks in. So I guess the advice I would give to a newcomer to all of this is just, you have to have an open mind. It is not going to go the way you. You listen, if it goes the way you planned it, great, like, pat on your back, good job, move on to the next. It's probably not. You probably are going to have to do something you didn't expect having to do.
- [08:14]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Moving on to the next series. We want to hit. Speaking of newcomers, Golden State, Minnesota, objectively incredible, you know, annual season for these guys. And their reward is playing a 3410 team. Minnesota's first in offensive rating, defensive rating, net rating 3. 0 in the season series. I guess my, like, starting question on the series is what do the Valkyries do to give themselves a chance?
- [08:42]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough. They're going up against Goliath and, you know, I think more than anything, when you look at Golden State and you already said it, amazing season, so much to be proud of. I know that in their minds, they're not going to approach this series being, you know, just happy to be there. So I'm really curious on what their coaching staff, you know, what Natalie's gonna have cooked up. Cause I think this is the type of series, if I'm Golden State, I'm like, what kind of weird shit can I do? I'm not even joking. Like, am I doing a box in one? Am I playing zone? Am I pressing? Like, what do I have up my sleeve to just change things up? Because I think the reality is, you know, Golden State's pretty good defensively. I think they're like fourth in net rating defensively.
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Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
But their offense, I looked this up today. They moved up to third this week.
- [09:31]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
They moved to third. Okay. Yeah. So they're third in offensive rating. I'm sorry, they're third in defensive rating. But can their offense, can they score enough to beat a team that you just said, who's like basically number one across the board in everything. I just don't know. So I think you have to try to make the game weird. Make the game as ugly and weird, within reason, obviously, but just try to try to change it up. Try to make Minnesota, you know, have to think about it.
- [10:00]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Yeah. And that's kind of the fun thing on a. On a like, macro level. If you're watching this thing of. It's the. It's the. It's what sports fans love. It's David versus Goliath, like you mentioned. And it be. It starts to become a thing where when you have no expectations and you're playing with house money, if you can do that and you can start throwing them off, then all of a sudden it's like they're fighting against themselves as much as they are you. And you start to just be like, you don't have any. There's no. You already have won by getting to this position. So you don't. So there doesn't have to be a sense of like, oh, okay, we need. It's almost like less about the matchups in the rest of these series and it's more just like whatever we can do to kind of muck it up is. Is going to, you know, hopefully just throw them off their own game.
- [10:45]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, maybe. Yeah. I mean, I think the one thing that Golden State has certainly proven is they know how to do that. Not necessarily the muck it up part, but they know how to beat top teams in the league. They know how when they're overlooked, which, by the way, I don't think the Minnesota Links are going to overlook anybody. They've been waiting to get back to the playoffs for literally a year. So I don't think that's going to happen. But Golden State has shown. They've shown that they can play with any team in this league. Obviously, a series is a whole different ball game. So. Yeah, so we'll see what they got.
- [11:20]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Before we move on to Atlanta Indy, we should just acknowledge Fee is the first player in WNB history to average 20 points a game at a 50, 40, 90 clip shout out to her. It's pretty crazy. Mel and I were talking about this before we started taping does a stat like that. And I don't.
- [11:39]
Gabby Williams
We.
- [11:39]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
We've talked about the MVP last week. We have a lot to get to so we don't have to go into a big thing on it. But does this crazy stat like that affect your specific view on a thing like this or is that just One data point in a series of many.
- [11:53]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I think it's one data point, a series of many. But I think it's a pretty important data point. I think has a lot of weight to it. I don't think it's just like your run of the mill data point. 5040, 90 is insane. I mean, you already said it. Second player ever to do it. Last one to do it was Elena Deladon. But do you want to hear the crazy part? And this isn't me, you know, making the case. I actually think when it comes to mvp, this is what it's going to come down to. Before I get to my crazy stat, this is what it's going to come down to. The voters are either going to think missing two games was too much or they're going to think Asia's like crazy run where she's in the last, you know, don't quote me, but 15 or 16 games, averaging 27. I mean, her numbers are insane in this last part of the season. So some voters are gonna think 10 games is too much to miss. Other voters are gonna think Asia's run was too impressive not to pick and vice versa. Right. And that's really what it's gonna come down to. Cause there's a lot of other things that just kind of equal themselves out. Of course, there's also the head to head matchup, which Asia won, her team won. That plays a role as well. But the crazy thing that I was just curious about when I was looking at Asia's numbers, you know, Asia's basically. Asia had a 50, 40, 85 season.
- [13:12]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
She was right.
- [13:13]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Now, don't get me wrong, the difference between the delta between 85 and 90 is like not a lot, but also it's a lot. Like 5% free throw. When you shoot that many, it's quite a bit. So it's not like she was right there, but she's kind of right there.
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Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Yeah, she is kind of. I mean, the first two, I think are ones that matter a little more, I would say.
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Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
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Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
I mean, it would have been wild if they had both gotten it.
- [13:38]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, my God, that would have been crazy. But Nafisa, you know what? You know Ryan. I was actually talking to Ryan Ruko. I'm in Tokyo, by the way. For everyone listening, therefore, like, what's today? What time?
- [13:51]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Sue doesn't even know what time it is.
- [13:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Where she literally, I'm gonna get off this little Riverside. We're doing this little. And go to bed. That's what kind of time I'm On. But I was talking to Ryan and he made this point where Nafisa plays in her last game. She has to make two three pointers to get to 50, 40, 90. So the 40 was in question. She had to make two, and she does. And Ryan was like. And then she shot two more. And he was like, I have so much respect for that. And I was like, so do I. Because this is a game that's meaningless. Like, the winner or the loss has literally no meaning. And she's already got the 50, 40, 90, and she shoots two more threes. I was. I was like, respect. Because that just shows, though it's not. No. To finish the. The conversation around the Minnesota Golden State series, I think that right there tells you exactly where they are. This is like, eye on the prize. They don't give a shit about anything else.
- [14:52]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Yeah, that's kind of scary. I would say for everybody else. Fever, Atlanta. Fever feels a little under the radar. I would say, obviously, Caitlin's not playing Atlanta. So much props to them. We obviously just did the episode with Ryan a couple weeks ago. Just been sort of consistently really good all year. Season series is 2.
- [15:14]
Gabby Williams
2.
- [15:15]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
What do you sort of expect to see Sunday to start it off?
- [15:21]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
This series is interesting because it's two teams that. Well, first of all, they met really early in the season, right? Yeah, I think they played like three.
- [15:32]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Times in the first, like, six weeks or something. It was like they played twice right away.
- [15:37]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. So they met really early and I guess. Okay. Actually, the reason why this series is interesting is because these two teams haven't played each other. Like, these two teams haven't really played each other. Obviously, Indiana is the team that's been hit the absolute most by injury, so they feel totally different, but they've kind of found the. Themselves a little bit. Then you have Atlanta. They've had the injury bug a little bit, too. Not. Not as much as Indiana, but you have a player like Jordan Canada who's been out for. For a decent chunk of time and is now just back in the lineup. So it's. It's not. You're not going to really base it off anything from the regular season. I think Atlanta, this is their series to. To lose and. Or to win. I think their guards are playing really well. Alicia Gray, Ryan Howard, they've got size, but I don't know then to me, the Fever, what they. What they're bringing is just like a grit. They're just like. They're just gritty about it. They find ways to win. They find ways to stay in games. I don't know. It's. It might come down to, you know, can Aaliyah Boston kind of have an impact not just in the paint, but the way she playmakes I against Atlanta's bigs fever.
- [16:53]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Also have a little bit of that Golden State thing now where it's like no one expects anything of them, so they are. The pressure is all off and no matter. And they got a lot of talent. So like when you have that. If you've that that combination is not a fun team to play against, you know, where you have to.
- [17:09]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Kelsey Mitchell, you have a player like Kelsey Mitchell who can easily get 30, can just go off for 30. I mean, I think zoomed out this whole playoffs when I was looking at the whole thing, it was just like this might be the first time in WNBA history where given how all the seating's finished with the exception of Minnesota, they're a little bit of an outlier. It's like, does anyone really have an advantage over anyone? The game, like the amount of games that were different between, you know, the number two team and the number three, four, five, six, seven and so on is like minimal at best. Everybody's kind of right there. So I don't know. Do upsets happen maybe? I was even thinking of the New York back to New York Phoenix for a second. New York, the defending champion, will have to win a game on the road in the first round in order to move on. That's crazy to think about.
- [17:59]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Crazy. We should shout out. Yeah. Before we go to the last series, Alicia Gray, first guard in W history to win player of the month three times in a single season. I was surprised by that.
- [18:10]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Really? How come?
- [18:11]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Good for her. Yeah.
- [18:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I would just said it's never happened before or just.
- [18:14]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Yeah, just that it's never happened. I just figured that that would. But shout out to her. Great, great year. Last one. One. I'm probably most excited for you may be as well, though. It's complicated for you. Aces. Aces. Storm aces. 16 in a row. Coming in second longest winning streak in W history. Have you ever seen anything like this going into the playoffs?
- [18:42]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
No.
- [18:44]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
No. Okay, so do that. Two one season series. Aces. There's a lot of emotion. There's a lot of personal things in the series on both sides. What do you think? Just in general, knowing how hot they are, how hot Asia is, how just how locked in they are as a team. But then the Stormer, I mean, we're. We're going to throw to an episode with Gabby Williams in a Minute, like the Stormer loaded themselves and they're just another one where you just. It's not a team that anybody wanted to really run into in September if they could help it. Where are you with this? Like, what do you expect in Game one, I guess.
- [19:26]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. This, I think, has to be the series that everyone has circled. I mean, I already said it, right? It's like they've split. In the regular season, Jewel Lloyd was a Seattle Storm member. She's now, you know, she was traded to the Aces. That's a storyline. You've got the Aces on their incredible win streak. That's a storyline. Is Asia going to be mvp? That's a storyline for the Storm. It's more of like a who's going to show up? It's a little bit of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. You haven't really been able to pin them down. But. But that's scary. I think that's scary. Especially given they have had success against the. Against the Aces. The times that they've played well, honestly, the times. This isn't specific to Las Vegas. The Seattle Storm play well when they shoot well. Neca Skyler, Erica Wheeler, particularly those three, when they shoot well from the outside. And Gabby. I mean now. And Brittany Sykes. So the starting five, when the top six players shoot, shoot well. They win games. It's like that simple. So can they find ways to create shots? That's really been kind of like the issue there. But I don't know. There is this weird thing I have happening in the back of my head, and this isn't. Do I want the Seattle Storm to win? I'm going to want them to win for the rest of my life. This is no surprise to anybody. This has nothing to do with that. This has nothing to do with that. I'm just like, at some point the Aces are going to lose.
- [20:56]
Gabby Williams
That was.
- [20:57]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
This is my feeling. It's just a number. It's a. It's an odds thing. They're not going to win 22 games in a row. Like they're going to lose.
- [21:03]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Right. It's like, especially in the playoffs, like, at some point in the regular season, had this streak happened early in the season, at some point they would lose. Right? Like, this just feels like the law of numbers, in a sense, law of averages. If they lose in this first series, if that streak breaks, like, immediately against the Storm and the Storm start getting confidence now, it's like, whoa, that's kind of scary. I think if you're the Aces taking actually now, I'M thinking, if I'm a player and I've had this incredible win streak, am I nervous that that lob numbers is going to catch up or am I like, no, there's a reason we won all those games and I'm feeling confident.
- [21:46]
Gabby Williams
Wow.
- [21:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I don't know.
- [21:47]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
That makes total. That makes total sense. The flip side of it would be if you were to. And this was obviously getting decided last night what these matchups were going to be. There's a part of me, and you know this better than I, but there's a part of me of like, if this was. If this was like, aces, Golden State first round aces, indie first round, whatever it is. You're like, okay. I could see they're being, you know, like they're gonna. Aces are gonna be locked in. Sort of like you're saying about Minnesota, the aces are like, this is the team that they probably wanted on a. On a. On an individual level and on a personal level. And so it doesn't mean you're not going to have a bad shooting night or something isn't going to go wrong or whatever it is. That's just basketball. Like, it is what it is. But at the same point, you are. I think you kind of worry about that a little bit more when there's a. It's like a trap game, you know, when there's a letdown of like, okay, we did this and then maybe we know, took our foot off the gas a little bit. I think this is one where it's like they got their emotional matchup right away. And so that. That doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It just makes it more interesting in a way because it's kind of like if it happens, it's not be. It's not going to be because they're not focused.
- [22:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I think what I'm thinking is more how long can a streak really go in the wnba? I guess we'll find out. I mean, honestly, watch them go, like, watch them run long as they team. Yeah. Watch them run through the playoffs undefeated, and this gets played over and over and over again. But. But assuming the streak does get broken, I'm just like, if it's bound to get broken and it happens, and they happen to run up to a Seattle store team where. Where their Dr. Jekyll is there to play and not their Mr. Hyde. Now it's just like, oh, fuck. Because now a team has stolen one from you and now it's gonna go to game three. And I feel like game threes, anything can happen.
- [23:37]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
That's, that's kind of.
- [23:39]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
That would be like my fear if I'm the Aces. That'd be like what I'd be if I'm Becky Hammond. That's what I'm like worried about when I go to bed at night. But at the same time, there's a reason they've won all these games. They've found something. They've found something, I think collectively as a team. And let's be honest, they're a classic case. They are a classic case of stop judging new teams in the first five minutes of their season. Can we all just stop doing that? It takes time. It takes time. And stop comparing them to previous teams.
- [24:10]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
You're right. But you know it's not going to stop. I know, but it's just, it's a good example. It's a good. You could just be like, just this is now your callback. Because next year there'll be another team that this happens with where there's big player movement in the same. And maybe they're not going to go on a 16 game winning streak to end the year. But like just be like, give them, give them till August to know like if after the first year, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. You can make that, you can make that calculation. But anything else. This is a good, this is a good. This is a good. This is going to be a good weekend. This is a good grouping.
- [24:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, I'm definitely excited for the playoffs to start. Yeah, I'm going to be looking for a lot. I'm gonna look for a lot of different things. I think this is when players have a chance. Players have a chance to like have big moments. That's what's so much fun about the playoffs. And honestly, I don't see why Gabby Williams can't be one of those players. So without further ado, here's Gabby. Oh, man, I hope I don't miss this first part up.
- [25:11]
Gabby Williams
Uh oh.
- [25:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Saba Sabah. Itoh Bien.
- [25:16]
Gabby Williams
Okay. Gabby. Hitoha.
- [25:20]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Jama Pelissu. Wazo Waiseau.
- [25:22]
Gabby Williams
Okay. Pourquoi?
- [25:24]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's my last name.
- [25:25]
Gabby Williams
Okay, Nice. And I know you understood that.
- [25:28]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, I know Pourquoix. And I have it tatted on my leg so I never forget.
- [25:31]
Gabby Williams
I think that's the greatest tattoo ever made. But I'm not biased or anything, but.
- [25:36]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I couldn't agree more.
- [25:37]
Gabby Williams
I'm surprised you didn't get it covered.
- [25:39]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I'll never get it covered. I'm actually kind of trying to build some stuff out Though I'm working on like a thing here.
- [25:44]
Gabby Williams
Okay.
- [25:45]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So we'll see what happens. But I got a little horse.
- [25:46]
Gabby Williams
Oh, that's cute. When did you get that?
- [25:48]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Just like a couple weeks ago.
- [25:49]
Gabby Williams
Are you getting addicted now?
- [25:51]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You know, so you know the Wazo tattoo.
- [25:53]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [25:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Which we can cut to a video if you'd like. Gabby with her Amazon purchased tattoo gun.
- [26:01]
Gabby Williams
Yep.
- [26:01]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Gave me my first ever tattoo, which was like a season long buildup. I was trying to think of what I wanted. I couldn't land on anything. I wanted to get a 10.
- [26:08]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [26:09]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But I wanted to be in French. And then when I looked it up, how is that spelled right? I was like, I can't get Dix on my leg. That'll be a problem. So then I finally landed on was.
- [26:20]
Gabby Williams
Oh, yeah.
- [26:21]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Which means bird in French. And. Yeah. So. So Gabby blessed me.
- [26:25]
Gabby Williams
Yep.
- [26:26]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [26:26]
Gabby Williams
I think it was my birthday too.
- [26:28]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, it was.
- [26:28]
Gabby Williams
I think it was my birthday because I remember I was in the middle of doing the Tattoo and Bridge. September 9th.
- [26:33]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. It's possible it was at the end of the season. Yeah. So, yeah, I would never cover this up.
- [26:39]
Gabby Williams
Okay, good.
- [26:40]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Because of the story.
- [26:41]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [26:41]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Like, what a great story.
- [26:42]
Gabby Williams
It is a great story.
- [26:43]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You gave my first tattoo and have I gotten the itch? I'm not addicted, but I totally get how once you get one, it's just like, well, why not get 30? Like, I totally get that.
- [26:52]
Gabby Williams
Especially when you get one, like, stupid one.
- [26:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. You're like, all right, I need a real one.
- [26:56]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [26:58]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, man. Well, thank you for that. Are you still doing it?
- [27:02]
Gabby Williams
No, not really. It's not something I do. Like, I have the machine and like, it's usually something like, end of the season, like, it's a good wrap up party kind of thing, but it's not. We made a joke that we should maybe make me a portfolio of like all my crappy tattoos. And like, some people ask me, I can show them. Are you sure?
- [27:20]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But were you like an artist or something growing up? Or is this like literally something you're messing around with?
- [27:25]
Gabby Williams
I literally just got bored during COVID and like, all the tattoo shops were closed and I was like, I want to put a pac man on my leg. Or I don't know. So then I Amazon.
- [27:33]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, I love it.
- [27:33]
Gabby Williams
I love it.
- [27:34]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
All right, all right. So let's get into, into like your career a little bit. We're going to take it back to the early days. And the reason why is because you grew up in Sparks, Nevada. First of all, where is that who knows?
- [27:47]
Gabby Williams
I always forget. No, it's, like, right by Tahoe, like, next to California, a couple hours from reading.
- [27:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay.
- [27:53]
Gabby Williams
Which we know and love reading.
- [27:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Which we know and love reading. Okay. I didn't realize it was that close.
- [27:56]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [27:57]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
No, all jokes aside, I think your background, like, your heritage is really interesting, obviously, growing up in Nevada. But you do have. Your mom's side is French. So just explain to a lot of people. Cause actually, as I was prepping for this, Megan was like, oh, what are you gonna ask? I was like, oh, I think I'm gonna have her. I was actually toying, like, oh, should I have Gabby, like, break down her heritage? And Megan was like, well, what is it? She didn't even know, right? She didn't even know, like, the full story. So here it is. You can set the record straight for the people I know.
- [28:25]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. A lot of people think I'm born in France or, like, whatever, but no, I mean, I'm born and raised in the States. My mom's mom is from Paris and married my grandpa, who's American, and they met, like, in Germany during a war or something. And where he's from was, like, a. They moved to, like, the tiniest town in Nevada. It's called Winnemucca. Shout out to Winnemucca if anyone, all 300 of you. But they. I always say to my grandma, like, how did you go from Paris, France, to, like, Winnemaca, Nevada?
- [28:55]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But I would love to hear a French person say Winnemucca, to be honest.
- [28:57]
Gabby Williams
Honestly, I don't know.
- [28:58]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Winnemaca, right?
- [29:00]
Gabby Williams
Winnemaca. I don't know. But, yeah. So then my grandma, she. They moved to Reno eventually. Or Sparks. Actually. No, they did. My mom grew up in Winnemucca, and then my mom ended up going to school, and that's how she met my dad, who's 100% American. But the Frenchness comes more from, like, I lived pretty much with my grandma when I was younger. I spent, like, every day there. She started teaching me French from the time I was 6 or 7. And like, all my middle school, high school years, I would. I was pretty much just living with my grandma. So that's. Actually. I'm the only one of my siblings who, like, speaks French.
- [29:34]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, you're the only one that speaks French.
- [29:35]
Gabby Williams
They can understand it, but do any.
- [29:37]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Of them have any, like, citizenship? Passport?
- [29:39]
Gabby Williams
No.
- [29:40]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's just you?
- [29:40]
Gabby Williams
It's just me. I mean, my. I think they can get it whenever they want. They just have to go make the appointment.
- [29:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
And I think I know the answer to this. But growing up, did sports just come naturally to you?
- [29:50]
Gabby Williams
I didn't have a choice. My dad was a coach and he was like, this is what you're doing.
- [29:55]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Did he put you in basketball?
- [29:56]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [29:56]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay, and then who put you in track?
- [29:58]
Gabby Williams
Myself. And that was controversial.
- [30:00]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Do tell.
- [30:01]
Gabby Williams
That was controversial because they were like, no, she's not playing basketball. She was supposed to be like, our basketball kid. Because I fell in love with track. So then my. I think everyone in my family got nervous that I wasn't going to be a basketball player. But then I got really good at track, so they're like, oh, this is really cool, actually. You can do this. And then I got hurt and had to just do one sport.
- [30:19]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay, so we're going to get to your injury and just kind of the choice between track and basketball. But I don't think there's another thing. I don't think people. I think some understand, but I don't think people really understand just how good you were in high school and track. Just to give like a quick. Your freshman sophomore year, you were Gatorade, like Nevada Gatorade Girls athlete of the year in track, which means all high schools in Nevada, all ages. You're a freshman, a sophomore. Your events were like the 100, the 300 meter hurdles, the 4x4. I did my research. But of course the high jump.
- [30:52]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [30:53]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
And when you're 15. This part cracked me up, by the way. So when you're 15, you go through, like, all the qualifiers for the Olympics.
- [30:59]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [31:00]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You finish fifth. So you're an alternate for the 2012 London Olympics.
- [31:05]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [31:05]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
As a 15 year old. But you couldn't. But you were too young to qualify for the Junior Olympic team.
- [31:12]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. That's a crazy fact that you found.
- [31:15]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Well, it's on your Wikipedia.
- [31:16]
Gabby Williams
That's true. Oh.
- [31:19]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I had my researchers.
- [31:20]
Gabby Williams
Like Nardwar.
- [31:22]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
No, but like, how. That's. First of all, that's just interesting. Yeah, but like, you were legit. Like, this was like, track was. You're potentially like a path.
- [31:32]
Gabby Williams
Oh, yeah, 100%. And it was weird because I actually didn't, like, qualify because of my age for a lot of major track events. But the Olympics was the only major track event I could do. Like, I couldn't do Pan Am Games. Like, none of that. It was actually really weird.
- [31:43]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
What do you remember about getting to that qualifier and then even the day of. Because you pr.
- [31:48]
Gabby Williams
I did PR that day. You know the lingo and everything. I know. Yeah, I remember. Um. It was actually A little bit by accident. So ironically, my dad, who did not want me to do track, I found out that he was like a seven foot high jumper in high school, too. And I was like, oh, interesting.
- [32:04]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, makes sense.
- [32:05]
Gabby Williams
We were watching TV with my mom. Like, we were at a hotel and we put on like some big ten, like, track championship, and the winner had jumped six foot, like, the winner of, like, the Big ten, whatever. And that was a weekend after I had just jumped like six, one and a half. And my mom was like, wait a minute, I think you're a lot better than a high school level. And so then I asked my coaches, I was like, what can I actually compete in? I know I'm in high school. And they're like, oh, my gosh, you know, you're actually qualified. You can go to the trials if you want to go to the trials.
- [32:36]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You didn't even know.
- [32:36]
Gabby Williams
We had no idea. I mean, we were just out of Reed High School in Sparks, Nevada. We weren't even thinking about this. And then, yeah, we did all the, I don't know, whatever.
- [32:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You do paperwork.
- [32:47]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. And they're like, yeah, you can. She can come.
- [32:50]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Were you, like, nervous? Intimidated?
- [32:52]
Gabby Williams
As a 15 year old as hell, yeah. But I was also just soaking in the moment because I was like, such a fan girl of, like, all the high jumpers that were there. And I was just like, okay, I'm just like happy to be here and see all these people who I've been watching from YouTube. Like, I was learning from them because, you know, I didn't have that many resources, so I was just learning from them on YouTube. And then I got to compete with them. And they were super happy for me, too. Like, yeah, it was a really cool experience.
- [33:17]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
That was a really cool experience. So you already brought up your injury, which is at utor ACL your junior year. Which came first? The injury or the decision to go with basketball?
- [33:28]
Gabby Williams
The injury.
- [33:29]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay, so talk me through that.
- [33:30]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. So I had talked to every college and I said, I'm only coming if you let me do track and basketball. And everyone except for, I think Oregon accepted because Oregon's, like, huge on track. So, like, if you're coming, you're only doing track. But even, like, UConn was okay with it and everything. And the day I tore my acl, Shay Ralph had come, watched me play literally the day before.
- [33:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Really?
- [33:53]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. And then the next morning, I tore my acl, which was insane. But that was the first time, like, they ever saw me play in person. So I was like, oh, my gosh. Thankfully, that I waited a day. I don't know. Or else this could have been a whole different trajectory.
- [34:06]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It wouldn't have been.
- [34:09]
Gabby Williams
And I was like, okay. I did it for the first time. And I was. And UConn was still like, okay, you'll come back. You're young. You still have one more year of high school. And I was like, okay, so I want to do track, though. Like, I hadn't read. I haven't. I didn't have a track meet since the Olympic trials.
- [34:22]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Wow.
- [34:22]
Gabby Williams
That was, like, my last.
- [34:23]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Even to this day.
- [34:24]
Gabby Williams
To this day. That was my last track meet ever.
- [34:25]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Wow. What a way to go out, though.
- [34:26]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, I'll take it.
- [34:28]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I mean, what could have been? But, yeah, what a way to go out.
- [34:31]
Gabby Williams
And so I was like, I still want to do track. Like, I have one more year. Let me at least do it for my senior year. And we'll talk about, like, the track basketball thing. But they were still open to it. And then literally retort my ACL and had to miss track season again. And I had just been like, yeah, two years without track, trying to rehab my knee. UConn's waiting for me. Like, thankfully, I was like, I'm just going to go to UConn. I went early and did both summer sessions in my rehab.
- [34:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
And do you ever miss track?
- [34:55]
Gabby Williams
I missed it a lot in college. I don't miss it anymore.
- [34:57]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay.
- [34:58]
Gabby Williams
But I did miss it a lot in college, for sure.
- [35:00]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. Do you think, like, the training that you, you know, had to endure with track helped you in basketball or even vice versa? In what ways?
- [35:08]
Gabby Williams
And. Yeah, definitely vice versa. But I think the fact that I'm always on my toes.
- [35:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [35:12]
Gabby Williams
The way I'm always on my tippy toe. Yeah. I am naturally like that, but it does. A lot of it comes from the way I trained with track.
- [35:19]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay.
- [35:19]
Gabby Williams
For sure. Like, I learned how to be explosive and be bouncy and be quick and. Yeah.
- [35:24]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, that totally makes sense. Okay, so at this point, it's kind of crazy because even though you're choosing basketball, you're obviously going to Connecticut. I'm gonna ask you about the recruitment process in a second. You've already knocked on the door of the Olympics with, obviously, US track. And so I'm curious. There's a little bit of foreshadowing here maybe, but does the thought of basketball and the path and France and being French, and is that, like, even in. Is that even in, like, your orbit at that point, or does that just come later?
- [35:56]
Gabby Williams
No, I mean, it's in my fantasy kind of thing. Like, wow. I don't know. When I would picture myself playing for a national team, I would always picture myself playing for France, and I'd even done, like, Team USA camps, but I was just like, oh, that'd be so cool if I could play for France one day. Not really realizing that it was possible that I was a French citizen this whole time.
- [36:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, you put it in the universe. I love that.
- [36:14]
Gabby Williams
And then, yeah, once we started talking about overseas stuff with Lindsey, she was like, oh, well, if your grandma's French, you probably have French citizenship and everything. And I was like, what? Like, yeah, like, let's try to get. Let's reach out to the French national team and everything. We found out that I was born. Like, I had my birth certificate already and everything, so there wasn't any kind of naturalization that needed to happen. And that's how we got in touch.
- [36:37]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. Like, what. What year was that?
- [36:39]
Gabby Williams
That was my senior year of high school, of college.
- [36:41]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay.
- [36:42]
Gabby Williams
My senior year of college was the first time I reached out to them. But then.
- [36:45]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Did they. Did they, like. Were they like, yes, come, like, welcome? Or were they like, who's this chick?
- [36:49]
Gabby Williams
They're kind of like, who's this chick? A little bit. Yeah, they were like, who's this chick? And I was like, well, I'm just throwing my name out there, and you guys are ready. And then also, the. There's a conflict with Bria, too. Like, me and Bria couldn't play on the team together, so I had to wait. And.
- [37:03]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, and that's because.
- [37:05]
Gabby Williams
Wait, but you're not naturalized according to feba. But, like, in the real world, I'm not, like, naturalized.
- [37:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Got you.
- [37:12]
Gabby Williams
Got you. Yes.
- [37:13]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So, yeah, in the world of basketball, you can't have two naturalized, meaning people that aren't born for lack of a better.
- [37:18]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, right. It was like, you have to have your passport before the age of 16, which I didn't have.
- [37:22]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay.
- [37:23]
Gabby Williams
So. Yeah.
- [37:25]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Wow. That's like, even that at the young age, that was your dream.
- [37:28]
Gabby Williams
Oh, yeah.
- [37:29]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
That's pretty crazy. That's pretty crazy. Okay, so you obviously choose Connecticut. What other schools were you looking at?
- [37:35]
Gabby Williams
I was looking at Louisville a lot. I was looking at Kentucky, because I remember back in the day, they used to play really run and gun, like, really fast, full court. And I thought. And I talked a lot to Jeff Walls, and then I talked a little bit to Stanford and ucla, but I think I wanted to always go to the East Coast. Yeah. How come I'm from Reno.
- [37:57]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I need to see the world.
- [37:59]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. I need to get out of these mountains.
- [38:01]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
What do they call Reno? Like, the biggest, littlest city or something like that.
- [38:03]
Gabby Williams
The biggest little city in the world. There you go. Yep.
- [38:05]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You need to actually see the big.
- [38:06]
Gabby Williams
Cities, the actual big cities.
- [38:08]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So you went to stores.
- [38:10]
Gabby Williams
I know stores.
- [38:13]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Sea Joe's stores. What about, like, what about Connecticut made you want to go there?
- [38:18]
Gabby Williams
I wanted to win. I mean, Coach looked at me in my eye. I'm sure he said it to you, too. Like, you can come here if you want to win a championship or go somewhere else, and we'll beat you somewhere else. And I was like, oh, he hasn't been.
- [38:28]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Some words, does he? So you get there and, like, so what was his impact? What was his impact? CDs impact? The coaching staff.
- [38:37]
Gabby Williams
I still have, like, reminders in my head of, like, things that they have, like, put in place. Like, I think they've taught me the best kind of habits that I can have. They've taught me things about myself, about that, like, help me kind of get out of tough moments. I remember Coach would tell me, he's like, you're a mediocre player when you're not playing as hard as you can. He's like, when you're not, like, as energetic as you are, when you're not making these hustle plays, he's like, you're just like everyone else, but when you're not. He was like, you could be one of the best players in the world.
- [39:04]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Were you immediately receptive to that, or were you like, old man is crazy?
- [39:10]
Gabby Williams
He had this conversation with me, like, my senior year, and I was very receptive to it. And it's still something that I was.
- [39:15]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Like, that you think about.
- [39:16]
Gabby Williams
I was 100% today, and that's why I sucked. Like, you know, and then, of course, like, playing for national team, I was trying to bring a lot of those, like, UConn aspects to the team, because France, like, really didn't have that. Yeah, like, just, you know, getting touches all the time. If you're on the sideline, you're talking. I would even get on the coaches. I'm like, coaches, you need to be talking. You need to be, you know, someone's like, I don't know, pouting on the bench. You're not clapping. No, you stand up when we, you know, trying to bring those kind of aspects. And I'm like, wow. I'm happy that, like, not everyone. Not everyone got to learn this. So I'm happy that I got to, you know.
- [39:50]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. And you get to. You're literally shaping the culture.
- [39:53]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [39:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Of French basketball because of it. So that's pretty cool. What else from your UConn experience? Like, actually, if you were to describe your four years, like, all in, like. Or zoomed out, like, how are you describing those four years?
- [40:06]
Gabby Williams
Every year was, like, such a completely different story. It's hard. I mean, it's. Yeah, it was hard, especially my freshman year. But I would just say it was a grind, honestly.
- [40:20]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Fair, fair, fair.
- [40:21]
Gabby Williams
It was just a grind. And I think I can appreciate what I did in college more now that I'm an adult, because I realized how much of a kid I was, and I'm like, well, when you're a kid at UConn, you're asked to do a lot of things that kids aren't asked to do and be. And so now I'm like, you know what? I'm actually proud of myself, of course. Like, I'm gonna. I was hard on myself when I was there, and I was like, oh, my gosh. Cause that's all you kind of hear is like, you need to be better. You need to do this. And I was like, what's wrong with me? But now I'm like, no, you're 19. You're still learning life.
- [40:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, I know. It's. You know, I've had a couple UConn players. Obviously, I tell my own Coach Auriyama stories, and, you know, sometimes I like to, you know, jab and kind of give my little digs. But the truth is, those four years and what you're saying. Right. The way that they challenge you, the way they prepare you. Yes. It's going to impact you as a basketball player. It's going to probably impact, you know, the points you put up or the assists you have or the rebounds. But more than anything, it's like, shaping who you are.
- [41:23]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [41:23]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
And I think all of us owe a lot, in whatever unique way it happened for you, all of us owe that school, that program, just so much on who we are as people. And again, the fact that you're taking that character piece and you're bringing it and you've been able to instill it in a totally different place is pretty special. So it's always fun to. Because even though we didn't play together in college, obviously, it's so similar. It's just such a similar experience. In your college days, you went 148 and three.
- [41:53]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, two big ones, though. But.
- [41:57]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, two big ones. I know. I know. I know those are the ones you remember, but you also played, you know, in that time with some great players. Oh, yeah, right. Like obviously Brandon Stewart. I mean, the list goes on. That whole class, Morgan Tuck, then you move on to Lou and Fee. I mean, the list goes on. What do you think you, you already listed kind of what you've taken from the coaches. And what do you think you took from playing with greatness?
- [42:24]
Gabby Williams
That's a great question. I think I one got a wake up call of like, you're not that good actually. Like these Cubs are the standard, you know, and that was, I needed that because I was like coming from, you know, my big self from Reno, I.
- [42:41]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Was almost an Olympian.
- [42:42]
Gabby Williams
Like I won my 4A state championship, you know, like, I needed to get humble, I think. And so being around that, I was like, oh man, I'm not good enough. I need to be on their level. And then what I liked was watching someone as good as that Brianna Stewart or Morgan Tuck, like struggle and how they got through it. And I was like, okay, it's okay. Like even these guys who at that time, I was just like, they could do no wrong. Just looking up to other wide eyed freshmen and then seeing how they like dealt with coach or how they got through practices and Morgan Tuck was always in my ear. I don't know, she kept me in check for everything. And I always say she's one of the best teammates I've ever had and she would just like, she wouldn't ever let me get into myself, you know. So I think playing with them, it was really cool to see. Yeah, these superstars like go through the same thing as me, but how they responded to it and got better from it.
- [43:37]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Do you see that showing up even now or like even through your pro career?
- [43:41]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, absolutely.
- [43:43]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
That's cool.
- [43:43]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [43:44]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Support for this show comes from DraftKings. The WNBA playoffs are here and the heat is on. Every game, every play, and every moment counts. Bet on your favorite teams and stars with DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the WNBA. And for a limited time, all new DraftKings customers bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code BIRD, that's codebird, for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets instantly. When you bet just five bucks in partnership with DraftKings, the crown is yours. GAMBLING PROBLEM.
- [44:20]
Gabby Williams
Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 877-8-HOPE and WY or text HOPE and WHY 4, 6, 7, 3, 69 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and resort in Kansas, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Boyd in Ontario. Bonus bets. For additional terms on responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio Witness the fight.
- [44:49]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
The boxing world has been waiting for on Netflix. Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford face off for the first time in their legendary careers for the super middleweight championship in Las Vegas. The winner will walk away the greatest of their era.
- [45:06]
Gabby Williams
Watch Kenobi Alvarez versus Terence Crawford.
- [45:09]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Saturday, September 13th at 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific Standard Time. Live only on Netflix. New fall arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. Get ready to save big with up to 60% off Vince, Kurt, Geiger, London and more.
- [45:27]
Gabby Williams
How did I not know rack has Adidas?
- [45:29]
Co-host or secondary interviewer (possibly named Sue or Melanie)
Because there's always something new.
- [45:31]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Join the NordicLub at Nordstrom Rack to unlock exclusive discounts on your favorite brands. Shop new arrivals first and more. Plus get an extra 5% off every rack purchase with a Nordstrom credit card. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack. All right, so you obviously finished a two time champion, NCAA champion, had a great career. I already said the record. You then go into the draft, it's 2018. You're drafted by the Chicago sky, number four. I think we had. God, I didn't. This is the one thing I didn't do my research.
- [46:02]
Gabby Williams
You guys had fifth.
- [46:03]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I think we had fifth. Yeah. So there was a small part of me I was like, oh, my God, like she drops the fifth. I wonder if we take. We ended up taking Jordan Canada and it worked out great.
- [46:10]
Gabby Williams
Right.
- [46:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Beyond more than great, to be honest. But yeah, we had fifth. So I had my eye on that draft the whole time. But you did, you got swooped up fourth. I feel like outside looking in, obviously I know you from playing with you and getting to know you as like a friend, but outside looking in, I could even see it just seemed like the Chicago years were kind of like you were trying to find your way, you were trying to fit in. So at times, maybe even some of the tougher WNBA years for you. Yeah. But I want to hear that in your words, if you can.
- [46:38]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. Well, I got there and they were like, okay, we're going to try to like move you to a three, because I had been playing the five. The freaking five.
- [46:47]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
This is when doing a lot of things well just really ends up hurting you.
- [46:50]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [46:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Can you play the Five. Can you play the one? Can you play the three?
- [46:54]
Gabby Williams
Let's try this.
- [46:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [46:55]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. So I remember doing training camp, and I was doing all of my reps at the 3, but then they eventually moved to, like, starting 4, which I had never really, like. You know how UConn offense works. Like, when you're the 5, you're still the passer. Like, you're still the playmaker and everything. Like, coach would always call me a point forward, but I didn't really get to do that as, like, a 4 in the W. It was more just like, pick and pops, and I had zero confidence in my shot at that point. A lot of pick and pops. A lot of, like, guarding Elena Delodons and Asia Wilson's and Candace Parker's. Like, that's so.
- [47:27]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Welcome to the league. League moment.
- [47:28]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. I worked in college, but I was, you know, not playing against superstars. No disrespect, but. And then the next year, let's just go complete 180 and backup point guard.
- [47:45]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I feel like I already know the answer to this. Did you like that?
- [47:49]
Gabby Williams
Look, let's be positive. You know, I learned so much. It was like, I. The way I can handle the ball now is thanks to that, of course. The way I'm able to, like, I love using ball screens now and, like, starting offense and everything. Initiating. So there's things that came out of it.
- [48:07]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [48:07]
Gabby Williams
Was it my least favorite year in the WNBA? 100%.
- [48:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Hey, listen, it's a hard position.
- [48:12]
Gabby Williams
I get it.
- [48:13]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I get it. But it actually does bring me to kind of this question of, like, who were you as a basketball player in those years? Like, how would you describe your game?
- [48:22]
Gabby Williams
Oh, I was like, I don't know. You know when you see, like, the duct tape that, like, closes the leaks?
- [48:29]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [48:29]
Gabby Williams
Like, that's what I felt like, like, okay, we need a three. All right, Gab, go stitch it up. Okay, we need a four. Go, like, stitch that up. And I loved being that because I loved being, like, a good teammate and a team player, but it was, like, defeating because I was like, what do I. What do I do? Well, I was asking myself, yeah, who am I? Will I always just kind of be this player that just kind of, like, rebounds and defends in the league or, like, I just said this, like, in an interview recently that, like, a lot of my ambitions just kind of dwindled away, and I was just kind of, like, surviving. Like, what's going to just keep me on this team? What's going to keep me on the floor? What's going to keep giving me minutes or keep me from getting cut? Like, just do that and then worry about the other stuff later.
- [49:08]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So what changed? What got your ambitions back?
- [49:11]
Gabby Williams
I came to Seattle.
- [49:13]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
No, it happened. I love that answer. But it happened before that.
- [49:16]
Gabby Williams
It. It did. I think actually a big part of it was my year in Chopran, to be honest.
- [49:21]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [49:22]
Gabby Williams
That year in Chopran was huge for me because they saw me, they were like, you know what? I think you're just like a 2, a 2, 3. Let's try to run you off some ball screens. And the way we played just worked so well for me. And then I was playing with great players, too, smart players. And I just had such a great year in Europe that it led me to getting on national team, led me to the Olympics and everything, because they still didn't really want me. They didn't want me at all. Even when Bria got hurt, the French national team. And then I had that year, and then they were like, okay, you can come. But it wasn't right away that they jumped on the idea of having me.
- [50:01]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Right. So let's put some years on this. So Bria gets hurt in the wubble. So that's summer of 2020. And you go to Chopran now, fall of 2020 into the spring of 2021. Okay. So even throughout that whole time, there's still a little like, eh. But obviously we fast forward and you're like a huge piece of the Olympic team when we're in Tokyo.
- [50:23]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. And that wasn't right away either, which I understood because I had never done any kind of FIBA window with them. And so I got there, and they were still kind of like, you can play, but, like, we're still not gonna give you, like, the keys. And then after we lost Euros, the coach came. She was like, I'm giving you the keys, like, for the Olympics. Like, I'm giving you the responsibility. I'm giving you the keys. We need a medal. Okay. And then that's when they. I could feel that I had, like, gained their trust.
- [50:45]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. So if we take it to that Olympics, I do have a quick question. So I had Tina on recently, and for her, that was like, a pivotal game in her Olympic experience that year, because she hit those three threes. I know, I know. The funny part is, is she didn't even know it.
- [51:02]
Gabby Williams
She didn't know the score.
- [51:02]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, she didn't know the score. She didn't know, like, the implication, all of it. And we were talking about it, first and foremost, we Knew that there was, like, some sort of score that you guys, like, you couldn't lose by a certain number. I think it was 13, looking back. Something like that.
- [51:18]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [51:18]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But I don't think we really understood that. This is going to sound crazy. I don't think we really understood, like, it wasn't really communicated enough where we were like, oh, if we win by 14, we knock them out.
- [51:29]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [51:29]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Which is like, why wouldn't we be trying to. To knock them out.
- [51:33]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [51:34]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So that's just like a whole other conversation. But yeah. So for Tina, that game was so pivotal because she has this big moment. But what was it like on your guys side, knowing, you know, you're facing the us, you know, all the things, and you have to. You cannot lose by more than. I think it was 13. So, like, what's happening for you guys in that moment?
- [51:54]
Gabby Williams
Me, I love those situations. Like, I love when it's like, hey, you don't have a choice. Cause that's what. I don't have to motivate myself. I'm already motivated. So I love those kind of big moments. And I was, like, so excited to play against the States for the first time, you know, like, hadn't played in the W all summer. And I was like, look, this is me, guys.
- [52:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Like, you know, this is the new me.
- [52:12]
Gabby Williams
This is new me.
- [52:13]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
This is friendship.
- [52:14]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. So I was really excited to play against the stage, and I just always, like, playing against my friends, like, I don't know. And I remember, like, taking the ball out at the end, and I think we were down by 11, and, like, we couldn't lose again. We just had to get the ball in you. I just couldn't turn it over. And you guys get a wide open layup. And I look at Stewie. I was like, hey, just let me get the ball in.
- [52:36]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Do me a solid.
- [52:38]
Gabby Williams
Because I'm like, why is she guarding me, like, on the sideline? And she was like, what are you talking about? Like, I don't think she was gonna try to deflect it, but I think.
- [52:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Like I said, we had a little. It wasn't miscommunication. It was just, like, not a full understanding of what was at play in that game. Like, we knew if we lost, we. We advanced. We knew if we won, we advanced. We were like, kind of, obviously we want to win. But the score part, we were a little. It was after the fact where it's like, oh, if you guys had beaten them by X, you would have knocked them out.
- [53:05]
Gabby Williams
And you were like, are you Fucking serious. Well, thanks to whoever didn't communicate that very much. We appreciate it.
- [53:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But real fast you get to the. So you advance and you get to, I guess like the semifinals and you're in the knock arounds. You're going against Japan again. First you lose to Japan in the pool play, which is actually what set up this whole pool play situation we're talking about. And now you're playing them again. Can you just talk about. I would argue that that Japanese team was one of the most difficult teams and styles I've ever played against. And to this day, I'm actually. It's the only thing I'm thankful for when it comes to not having fans. I'm thankful for Covid for one reason and it's that the Japanese didn't have a home crowd.
- [53:50]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [53:50]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Because every three they hit already felt like, I don't know, so loud. I can only imagine if there was fans there. But just talk about playing against that Japanese team. They were so good.
- [54:00]
Gabby Williams
They were so good. They were so well coached. And like every action they ran was like so defeating as an opponent because it would be like so true. Ball, screen, drive, spray, reversal, boom. 3.
- [54:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I know. Don't give up threes, guys. Don't let him shoot threes, guys. And then you're like, what? What three?
- [54:16]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, yeah. That's all they do. That's all they do. And you still can't guard it.
- [54:20]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
No.
- [54:20]
Gabby Williams
And it was so frustrating because we had only lost by like four the first time. So we were like, oh, we got them now we figure it out. Not at all.
- [54:28]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
They were so obeyance. We ended up having just literally switch every screen.
- [54:32]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [54:33]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So you had BG guarding like a 5:2 point guard, like literally half the game. It was so hard. But yeah, I just want to talk about that because again, you met them in the semis and lost again. And so I'm curious, like, how are you feeling in the locker room? So the end of the story is that you medal and you have a bronze medal. Are you like, how do I want to say this?
- [54:53]
Gabby Williams
I cried.
- [54:53]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You cried. Okay, here's the question. How did you feel about that?
- [54:57]
Gabby Williams
I remember I went to get treatment and I just felt like, I don't know, the trainers working on me. And then I just felt a tear. Like, I just felt a tear go. And I was like, like, you had a chance because that would give guaranteed a medal. But also the context of we just lost to Serbia.
- [55:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. In the Euros.
- [55:13]
Gabby Williams
In the Euros. We gotta play Serbia again. Who France lost to In R for medal. And it just felt like everything was the perfect story for us, like, not to medal. You know, my legs were done. Like, I'd never done a FIBA tournament, so I had no idea what it was like, like, physically. So that was my awakening to it. And I was like, oh, my gosh, it's different.
- [55:34]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
How would you describe FIBA in comparison to the wnba?
- [55:39]
Gabby Williams
I think FIBA is a lot more physical, obviously, because it's called the whistle is less obvious and unpredictable. It's unpredictable, yeah. So it is a lot more physical, I would say. The pace of the W is obviously really faster, but I think the physicality of feedback games actually makes me more tired.
- [56:02]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
There's no TV timeouts.
- [56:03]
Gabby Williams
No TV timeouts.
- [56:04]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So that's like a big.
- [56:05]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, yeah.
- [56:06]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You're not getting those breaks, like how or whatever, every like, four or five minutes. So that's a big part of it.
- [56:10]
Gabby Williams
And the games are so fast. They're like an hour and a half long. We're like WNBA games are like three hours. So you feel like it's an hour and a half of just like. Like a sprint.
- [56:18]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, yeah. I also. What I would add to that specific to, like, national team play. So, like, whether it's euros for me, like, World Cup Olympics is. The tournaments are kind of short, and I feel like every country, rightfully so, us included, it's like you're playing for your life.
- [56:33]
Gabby Williams
Yep.
- [56:34]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So, yes, there's no TV timeouts, so the games are shorter. They're a little more physical because of the way they're called. But everybody's so much harder than they would in, like, a quote, unquote, regular season. Because, first of all, there's so much importance on the games. And also, you've been training for this one moment. So, like, you're at the Olympics, you only get. I mean, first of all, you're only guaranteed technically, like, three, however many pool play games.
- [56:56]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [56:57]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So people are playing so hard, there's never a possession off, and it makes it. I agree with you. I've never been. I'm the most tired I've ever been. Has been in national team play.
- [57:08]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [57:08]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Like, by far, everybody's pressing. So it's like 40 minutes of pressing, and then you're probably pressing.
- [57:14]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [57:14]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So you're getting pressed and you're pressing. So it's so competitive and so difficult. All right. So when I look at you, I definitely think, like, in terms of your growth, a lot of it did happen from playing overseas. Like, I feel like when you go there, you already mentioned Playing in Chopran for those couple years. And it allowed you to, like, find yourself, like, be who you are and then you run into the situation where you get suspended in 2021. And another thing, as I was prepping for this, I started to realize, like, not everybody understands what happened just to you specifically, but just like prioritization in that year. So can you explain what happened and why the Chicago sky? Or maybe not why, but like how they were able to suspend you?
- [57:58]
Gabby Williams
So they basically told me, like, don't come to training camp. Like, don't come. We had thought that we had come to an agreement that I wasn't going to come. And if I was going to come, like, they would trade me or worst case, I would just finish the season with them after the Olympics. Worst. Worst case because they were able to keep me for very cheap because it was my option year. So from a business standpoint, like, yeah, they did their thing. They did their Dougie with that one. They kept a player for a year longer with the 60 grand contract. But they told me to like, not come to Chicago. And then I remember I landed my first day. I land in Reno after coming flying with my cat from Hungary, and I get a call at like 6am from Lindsay, like, get on a plane, go to Chicago. Yeah, get on a plane, go to Chicago right now. Because they're going to suspend you for not being at training camp. And I was like, what? Like, they just told me not to go. And then I call the dobo at the time, I call Ann and I was like. And like, I need a flight to come to Chicago. And she was like, what? James said you're not coming till after the Olympics. Like, James said that you weren't. And then I go on Twitter and I see, like, I've been suspended for not going to training camp because the prioritization rule said that if you missed like the first five days, they could suspend you, no questions.
- [59:16]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
And so all you had to do in order to come back after the Olympics was just report.
- [59:21]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [59:21]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So you could have reported. You would have been in the rules. They couldn't suspend you and they would have to honor your contract. But instead the Dougie happens.
- [59:30]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [59:31]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. And you're suspended, which did have implications on your contract because you had to stay under that one more year, right?
- [59:38]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. Well, we got lucky. They realized the media frenzy that they had kind of created and traded me to la. And so I got the extension.
- [59:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Right.
- [59:46]
Gabby Williams
So I didn't have to stay on that contract.
- [59:48]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So, yes, it did work out in the end. Because you got traded and. Yeah, yeah, everything worked out. Obviously, that trade, like, subsequently, like, lands you in Seattle and we'll kind of like get to that in a second. So kind of like, looking back, I can imagine it was hard in the moment, but then at the same time, would you change how it happened?
- [60:09]
Gabby Williams
No, absolutely not. Like, I. I have no bitterness. Like, I talk about the situation, but it doesn't mean that I have any type of feeling about it. Like, I'm so happy it happened the way it did. I. When people show me their true colors, I needed also to learn how the business was ran because I think I was always like, this is my family. Like, I eat lunch with. You know, James's wife was French. Like, we were hanging out in Montpellier all the time. And I was like, these people are not your friends, Gabby. They're not your family. Like, forced me to change the way I think about these things and make better decisions for myself versus, like, sacrificing my well being and everything, which I was doing before, to just be anything for the team. I was like, you know what? I'm gonna be selfish. Like, I'm gonna make decisions for me now.
- [60:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Did it frustrate you, though, that you didn't have a chance to take this, like, new identity as a basketball player that you just had gained in Chopran and play in the WNBA with it? That got like, I mean, obviously you come the next year, so it's not like it got delayed that long. But it did get delayed for a season.
- [61:10]
Gabby Williams
It did, but I think I was just so. I was already, like, discouraged by the WNBA by that point after, like, my first three years. So I was just like, I do not care. Like, I was just so sick of the W at that point that I was like, it felt like the, I don't know, the national team, like, circuit that summer because we did two competitions were so freaking fun for me that I wasn't even thinking about it. Like, I met all these new friends. Like, I loved playing with them.
- [61:39]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
We.
- [61:39]
Gabby Williams
We got two medals that summer, and I was just having a good time. I was playing the way I wanted to play, so I honestly didn't have that feeling.
- [61:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Do you want to hear the funny part? My next question in my notes is ask how she was feeling about the WNBA versus overseas. That answers that. Okay. But that does actually bring me. So you've already described kind of your overall feeling of it, your role. Right? Like your role in the WNBA versus overseas. And by overseas, I'm kind of that. That's including like Euro League and your national team, right?
- [62:11]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [62:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So your role, WNBA compared to overseas, the money being offered, WNBA compared to that, you obviously were making a name for yourself. You win your league in 2020 with Chopran. So I have a question because you've been really vocal and for those that don't know, you've been really vocal. Just about like the pay equity conversation of the WNBA and prioritization basically making you choose. And I've heard you say time and time again, like, okay, you want me to choose, cool, but you got to pay me for that choice. Essentially. Yeah, it's a two parter. Okay, first part, as this new CBA approaches, which everyone's saying won't bring in a ton of money, given the media deal, like, how do you see it changing for you, the decision making process? We don't know. Obviously it's going to be a new cba. So will there be prioritization, Will there not? There's no way to know until it's done. But like, how do you see if the money increases in the WNBA and it's higher than overseas, how do you see that playing out for you?
- [63:05]
Gabby Williams
Well, I just see it being more like the men's side. You know, how some guys choose NBA and Euroleague and some people, like, there's still big contracts in Euroleague. No, they're not NBA contracts. But I see it just being more so like the men where you fortunately only will have to play one season, which I think is ultimately the goal. The goal is just for us not to have to do WNBA and overseas or for European players to like, you know, everyone can just maybe do one, make their money and be happy and not be exhausted, have their vacation time, have an off season. So I just see that being like the thing that comes out of it.
- [63:36]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay. And then what about. Obviously it's a little bit different from you, given that you are American. I mean, I know you're French now, but given that you are American, do you think other European players who maybe like home and like where they live is Europe, how do you think it changes for them, like, similarly?
- [63:54]
Gabby Williams
Well, I think. I think they're going to chase the money too.
- [63:57]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [63:57]
Gabby Williams
Honestly, I think. And I also think everyone wants to be a part of what's happening in the W right now, even overseas. Like, you see so many French kids that want to play in the WNBA right now.
- [64:05]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, you guys are kind of taking over.
- [64:07]
Gabby Williams
It's kind of cool, right?
- [64:07]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It is pretty cool, I have to admit. Like, it's a little scary given you Know the Olympics of it all. But you guys a. I'm just like, when did you all get so tall?
- [64:16]
Gabby Williams
Right?
- [64:18]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Why are you guys giants? But also, you can see the skill level has really has really increased. So it is, it is really fun to see like this injection of French players. But. Yeah, continue.
- [64:28]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, I mean, I'm excited to see them wanting to be in the W2 because I also think that their development, I mean, they've actually always really been good, like French young kids, but they all kind of like reach. I hope I'm not saying anything too controversial that people get mad at me for, but they all kind of reach a cap that I think that they need to come to the States to kind of. To keep going, you know, Like, I see all these young, talented kids and they kind of peak a little bit. So I'm happy to see that they're like. I'm happy to see Laila and Carla and all these young guys and Dom, of course, that are coming and they're learning a lot of stuff. They're learning how to play against Sabriana Stewart early. They're not learning their first time in the Olympics, you know, and I think that's what's going to take it to the next step.
- [65:08]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay, that actually answers my question because the. Actually it was a three parter, because the third part is it's almost been like the opposite for you, which is you got to go overseas and have a bigger role and kind of expand your game in that way. But I hear what you're saying. It's like they already kind of get that part and now they need to experience like the US Version, I guess, of basketball.
- [65:28]
Gabby Williams
I think it's just more so about like the competition they're playing against. Like, they need. They need to play against like the superstars. They need to.
- [65:34]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's not like a developmental thing. It's just like actual like real life competition.
- [65:38]
Gabby Williams
Real. Yeah, that's what it is. Because they're developed, their development is great and like they have all the resources we do and they have like, they have incep. You know, the. Yeah, like the school.
- [65:48]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. Because like for Australia, it's the institute. For you guys, it's inset.
- [65:52]
Gabby Williams
I guess the island's like, like.
- [65:53]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, it'd be like img.
- [65:54]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [65:54]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. It's actually like college in a sense. It's just.
- [65:57]
Gabby Williams
You're younger, right? That's pretty much what it is.
- [65:59]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [66:00]
Gabby Williams
Like they have that and everything. So development is great. But I think that they do like, they don't know how to go against someone who's, like, talking to you the whole time. They don't know what it's like to go against someone with these kind of, like, you know, the pep that Americans have that gives them that kind of extra, like, oomph. That's what's missing. Yeah, I think.
- [66:17]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay, I see that. Okay. So all said and done, you do eventually get to Seattle.
- [66:23]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [66:23]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
What was, like, your first impressions? Just of, like, the organization, the city, all of it.
- [66:31]
Gabby Williams
Again, I had, like, came from, like, we didn't have a locker in Chicago. So I remember. I know we were at SPU in Seattle. So you guys were like, oh, sorry, we'll have a facility. I'm like, what? I have my own locker. Like, I have a cold. I don't have to put ice in a trash can. And I was, like, blown away by.
- [66:51]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Everything because we did have Climate Pledge, and we did have Climate Pledge had just opened.
- [66:57]
Gabby Williams
And that was so cool. I remember the, like. And it was also, like, years and breeze, like, goodbye years. So every single game was sold out.
- [67:03]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [67:03]
Gabby Williams
Which was so. Which I didn't. It was great. Yeah. Yeah. I was like, okay, this is freaking cool. And now it's just getting better and better every year. Yeah, it is.
- [67:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I have to say, we're in the practice facility right now doing this interview, and it is, even for me, like, am I a little sad I didn't get to use it? Yeah.
- [67:18]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [67:18]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But walking up, I'm like, this is so dope. Yeah, it really is. It's like, you really don't have to grind in the same way. So that's nice. You bring up the 2022 season. The season we got to play together, which is great. Do you remember when you got concussed in the playoffs? The season itself was actually, like, had a little bit of some ups and downs. We were figuring some stuff out, but by then, by the time we got to playoffs, we were in a good place. We were rolling. Yeah, we were in a really good place. And then we played the Mystics, and it was a concussion. Well, actually, wait. Three game series. Win game one. And do you remember? I'm gonna ask you if you remember this one. I've actually told this story. We're in the locker room, and it's ahead of game two. Okay. If we lose game two, we're leaving the next morning to go to DC for game three. And we're in the locker room, and a bunch of us got, like, the Delta app notification to check in. Yes. And we're all, like, we're not fucking Los. Nobody check in. Nobody check in is like the motivator for the game.
- [68:15]
Gabby Williams
I forgot about that.
- [68:16]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Honestly, one of my favorite stories. Everyone's reaction. Yeah, it was so funny. But you get bopped.
- [68:25]
Gabby Williams
It was the weakest thing ever, too. And I remember being in the showers after, and you're like, you good? I was like, a couple of days.
- [68:32]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You don't look good.
- [68:33]
Gabby Williams
You look a little dazed. Right? But I had never had a concussion before, so I was like. And it didn't feel like. They told me I was concussed. I did all the testing. I was nauseous. All that stuff. I was clearly concussed. But I didn't know that it was a couple week thing because I was walking and talking and felt fine. And I was just like, I think there's a couple of days. And then I got home.
- [68:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
You were in the protocol, man, and.
- [68:54]
Gabby Williams
I was not okay.
- [68:55]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, really? What happened when you got home?
- [68:56]
Gabby Williams
Oh, I mean, I was just not okay. Like, I was knocked sensitive to everything. Nauseous. Just like, headache. Yeah.
- [69:03]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [69:04]
Gabby Williams
Ugh. I felt like I was really, like, we were getting going.
- [69:08]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
We were getting there. I know, I know. It makes me sad, too. But you did come back, which was fun also. I mean, listen, we lost the series. It sucks. I hate talking about that last year, but at the same time, there's so many great memories, I think, for you. I just saw so much growth in this one year, you know? And honestly, one of the things that jumps out, and I was gonna get into it a little bit later, just about your defense is we played against Chicago, like, kind of early in the. And it was like a close game. Don't quote me on the time. And score. But it's like, late in the game, I think we're, like, trying to hold onto a one point lead kind of a thing. And I turned the ball over and Sloop got it, and she had, like a wide open layup. And then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Gabby comes. You know, you run by Bambi. Gabby comes, like, Bambi ing down and just like blocks it off the backboard. And then I think blocked the next one or got the rebound, like, whatever it was. And I was like, like, whoa. I'd never seen, like. I'm not joking. I'd never seen anything like that. And I think that is what makes you special as a defender. But I do want to hear, like, your thoughts on. On. On you as a defender. Oh, like, what makes you special?
- [70:16]
Gabby Williams
Eczema isn't always obvious. But it's real and so is the relief from EVGLIS.
- [70:23]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
After an initial dosing phase, about 4 in 10 people take taking Eglis achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.
- [70:34]
Gabby Williams
Eglis Librekizumab LBKZ, a 250mg 2ml injection, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals, or who cannot use topic topical therapies. EBGLIS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to ebglis. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with ebglis. Before starting Epglis, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection searching for real relief.
- [71:09]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Ask your doctor about EBGLIS and visit eglis.lilly.com or call 1-800-LILYRX or 1-800-545-5979. Mutine adjective used to describe an individual whose spirit is unyielding, unconstrained, one who.
- [71:25]
Gabby Williams
Navigates life on their own terms, effortlessly.
- [71:28]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
They do not always show up on time, but when they arrive, you notice.
- [71:33]
Gabby Williams
An individual confident in their contradictions. They know the rules but behave as if they do not exist. New Team the new fragrance by Miu.
- [71:44]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Miu Defined by you this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Checking off the boxes on your to do list is a great feeling. And when it comes to checking off coverage, a State Farm agent can help you choose an option that's right for you. Whether you prefer talking in person on the phone or using the award winning app, it's nice knowing you have help finding coverage that best fits your needs. Like a good neighborhood, State Farm is there.
- [72:12]
Gabby Williams
I mean a lot of it is like I am. I am athletic. Like it is my body, it is my the way I'm able to move myself. But I really study like I really try to focus on scout like I really try to predict what's going to happen next. Listen not always right and a lot of time it's a gambler a lot of time I'm hearing Noe about it, but that is part of my game is I'm taking a lot of risks on defense, too. Like, that was a big risk to go try to get that chase down block. You know, that could have ended.
- [72:41]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Totally different. Yeah, totally different.
- [72:43]
Gabby Williams
Completely different.
- [72:44]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Save my ass. Thank you.
- [72:47]
Gabby Williams
But there is a lot of risk taking, I think, in the way I play defense. But it's also. I tried to be methodical with it, but, yeah, a lot of it is coach in my head telling me that if I'm not going as hard as I can, that I'm average, too, honestly.
- [73:00]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, I just want to add to that. So, yes, you're leading the league in steals. You're also, like, incredibly versatile. We've already talked about offensively being able to play all the positions. Defense, you can guard everybody. But really what I would add to the mix is, like, what makes you different, makes you special is kind of what I just said. You cover up other people's mistakes, and I don't even think people see it. I don't think people truly understand. A chase down block is. Obviously, you know, people are going to see that, but it comes in these other subtle ways. And that's always, like, when you're playing. So, like, we played together that last year when we're playing together. Like, I know, like, oh, if I mess up, like, Gabby's there. And that allows, like, the team defense to then raise. So not only are you good individually, you're actually raising the level of your team's play. So I would just take that on as well. Cause that's a big part of what you're doing. So 2003. Now comes 2003. 2023. Oh, my God. Yeah, I know. You're like, I was five. Okay, so 2023, you only play in. I don't even know, not that many games because of the Euros. So do you want to just skip that one?
- [74:05]
Gabby Williams
That was insane. I get concussed again.
- [74:08]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, that's right.
- [74:09]
Gabby Williams
I get concussed again.
- [74:10]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Is that scary? At this point?
- [74:12]
Gabby Williams
Yes. I was petrified. Especially because the way I tried it that time, they were like, yeah, go ahead. Just, you know, French medicine, they're like, just after seven days, they're like, just give it a go. It's finals. I go. And after the game, I'm like, super sick. The trainers in my bedroom, like, trying to get me right and this stuff. And I was like, don't put me on that court again.
- [74:31]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, that is scary.
- [74:32]
Gabby Williams
I took a long time to come back. I went and saw, like, a specialist. Because it's your brain.
- [74:36]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [74:36]
Gabby Williams
So I was pretty panicked about that. But, yeah, I come back and then 10 minutes later.
- [74:40]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But it's also kind of like, what allowed you to come back. Right?
- [74:43]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [74:44]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Because you ended up. Again, we're back in the prioritization of it all, which, for those that don't know, like, that rule, that CBA rule changed at one point, like, year to year. Like, as you mentioned with Chicago in 2021, it was like, you had to get there by X amount of days of training camp. Now it's getting to a point where your overseas contract has to be done. So because you got concussed, you actually got out of that contract. Right. And then it made you eligible.
- [75:07]
Gabby Williams
Well, yeah. Like, Lindsay called me that night that I was sick, and she was like, why are you. Why are you playing? It's been, like, a week since you got diagnosed with concussion. And I was like, what's finals? I wanted to try. And then she's like, you're not playing another basketball game. I was like, I'm really scared. Like, I'm panicking. And she was like, let's just end your contract. You're not playing another game. We'll figure out the Seattle stuff later. Because I told Seattle, too, I was like, don't expect me to be there. Like, I need to get my brain right.
- [75:40]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. Yeah. But again, it was able. You now, like, were free to join late, basically, because you're overseas. Even though you weren't under contract here, your overseas had ended. That's another rule which actually does bring us to the 2024 season, the Olympic year. So for those that don't understand, again, the prioritization is so confusing. But because you were not under contract, you could go train with France, go to the Olympics, play the Olympics, and then sign a contract essentially to join Seattle by the end. Okay, we're not skipping the Olympics.
- [76:11]
Gabby Williams
Don't worry.
- [76:14]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's a home Olympics for you.
- [76:15]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [76:16]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So just like, what is that?
- [76:17]
Gabby Williams
Like, oh, man. That was like. I felt like I was in a weird reality like, every day. I was like, there's no way. That meme of, like, LeBron James was like, can't believe this is my life. I couldn't believe it. Like, I had my family from Paris coming, and then I had my family from the States, and they were, like, all meeting each other for their first time. They're all living in this big house, and I was like, my family was having the time of their lives, which is the coolest, honestly. The best part for me, my niece was like, courtside every game, and now she wants to play basketball all of a sudden. And that was cool. Cause we didn't have family in Tokyo.
- [76:51]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It is a different experience being able to share it, for sure.
- [76:55]
Gabby Williams
So not only did I have. Not, like, my family, I had my family there, but, like, I had everyone there, like, I am home, so. Oh, that was so cool. And then just, like, the love from the fans was just insane. Like, it was the best experience ever. The fans were like, I don't know. That's got to go down in history as, like, the best public or whatever.
- [77:15]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, it was. I obviously went as just like a spectator. And it is different if you're a player versus spectator, of course, but you still get to experience stuff. As a player outside of Tokyo, I still got to experience. And being in Paris, from just the fanfare to your point, the venues, the city itself, how they were able to incorporate. Like, you go to beach volleyball, you're looking at the Eiffel Tower, you know? So I think when it's all said and done, I'm excited to see what they do in la, of course. But when it's all said and done, as of right now, like, the Paris Olympics is definitely up there.
- [77:45]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [77:45]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. In my experience, it might. In the ones that I've seen, it might be the best.
- [77:49]
Gabby Williams
I think that's why a lot of NBA guys wanted to do it, too. Like, that was one everyone wanted to do.
- [77:53]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So what were. Like, what were your team's goals going in? I know, gold medal. So I'm not trying to. But, like, how. How are you talking about that? How are you on the lead up? How are you talking about that in the locker room? Like, what is that?
- [78:05]
Gabby Williams
Like, it was in 2023, our coach makes PowerPoint and says, Gold medal. He said, this is the standard gold medal, which I liked, because that's not very French, honestly. And I was like. And he was new, so I was like, okay, this guy's got some ambition, all right. But what I had to kind of rein everyone in on was like, let's not skip the steps. There was a lot of like, yeah, we want gold, we want gold, we want gold. But I was trying to get everyone, like, but how? Like, what is gold? I was like, we need to have gold medal practices. We need to have gold medal film sessions. And that was a big reason, too, why I was trying to bring, like, the quote unquote, Yukon culture to them, too, because I was. And I was trying to get them to realize, like, in those games, it's not going to be about, like, well, we want to win the gold medal. It's going to be about the habits that you've created to get there. And you can see in those last three, four minutes, like, we didn't have those habits.
- [78:58]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
What can you, like, take me through that? Just, like, what you mean when you say that? Like, is it a discipline? Is it, you know, understanding? Like, what do you think that was?
- [79:11]
Gabby Williams
I think it's almost like a serenity, actually. And it's the same thing that you guys had against us when we played you in Tokyo. And we were. We. I think we were even up at halftime or tied or something. But when the moment got hot, there was a coolness to you. There's a coolness to Tina hitting those threes, not even knowing the score.
- [79:26]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. Like a calm.
- [79:27]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. There was a coolness to, like, Diana freaking pick in my pocket. Like, you know, in the final seconds, getting off my knee, like, us, like, not panicking or being tight on offense. Like, those are the things that the States have that we just don't have the experience for yet. And I think that showed up in the last three, four minutes.
- [79:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Is it something you think about a lot?
- [79:47]
Gabby Williams
All the time. I don't even think about the shot. Everyone asked me about the shot, the.
- [79:51]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Toe on the line. Yeah.
- [79:52]
Gabby Williams
And I'm like, did you see we called a timeout after we scored? Like, did you see that we. The possession before that, like, we had no in the low help defense. Did you see, like, the shots that we took at the end? Did you see the plays that we called? Like, not saying the coach, but I'm saying, like, the players on the court.
- [80:06]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Like, a lot of people like to focus on the final play or the final shot, whether it went in or it did. In this case, you're so. In this case, your toe was on the line, therefore you didn't tie it.
- [80:17]
Gabby Williams
Right.
- [80:17]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
We still were able to win by one. That's like the scenario. But I totally hear what you're saying. It's never that moment.
- [80:22]
Gabby Williams
Right.
- [80:23]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's like three, four, five, six plays before that.
- [80:25]
Gabby Williams
That moment should have never happened. Right. Like, that's what I think about. But no, but just the way we were as players. Like, yeah, we got hot, we got cool in the third quarter, but then it was like, oh, my gosh, are we actually gonna win this game? And that's when you could see the kind of tightness come. And that's where we need to be playing in the States, I think a bit more to, like, learn how to be cool in those big moments.
- [80:47]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, that makes total sense. I feel like it goes without saying, I can already hear it. It kind of added, like a chip to. Probably was already a chipped out shoulder. Now you got another one on there. But the thing I noticed, yeah, I could. I could definitely dissect the game. That'd be actually fun to do. But the thing I noticed was, like, you were in excellent shape. Like you were. The minute I saw you. The first time I saw you, like, in Paris, I was like, damn. Like, you just looked in great. First of all, you were tan, so that was like. That was on point. But you just looked in great shape. Did anything. Did you change anything from, like, a prep standpoint?
- [81:22]
Gabby Williams
100%.
- [81:22]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay.
- [81:23]
Gabby Williams
What was. So I had, like, a family emergency in March, which. And actually let me be home for, like, three months, where I just got to work on my body, which I hadn't had since I was a rookie. I got to just work on my body. I had just gotten with my, like, individual trainer. I was just doing, like, pickup games and everything. And then we got to France and we had like a Yukon level kind of preseason. Just like sprints, walking up mountains, like, doing all this crazy stuff.
- [81:51]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Rocky vibes.
- [81:52]
Gabby Williams
Yes, definitely. Rocky montage happened in Anglaite, France. But that was one of our goals, was like, we need to be fit and in better shape than everyone. That was a big emphasis from the federation, from our coach, for sure.
- [82:06]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay. Yeah. No, you could tell right away. Yeah. The style you guys play, too, you're definitely just one of the more, like, physical teams. You do press 40 minutes, so I could totally see how that would be the focus. Okay, so we've now kind of talked about, like, your national team play. Some of the choices. I love that. You really wouldn't change anything. It's kind of all gotten you to where you are now. But a lot of your decisions have been dictated by, like, the CBA and by prioritization. So I'm just curious, like, moving forward, looking ahead, because European Championship's not going anywhere. Olympics and World cup aren't going anywhere. And I don't expect you to, like, solve the world's problems here, but is it something you think about on just, like, is there a different way they can handle. The WNBA could handle European players.
- [82:56]
Gabby Williams
I think it's the wnba, but it's also fiba. Like, I think FIBA has to find a way to make it work because, like, so much is Changing so fast. And I always, like, okay, the WNBA will make anything work as long as USA's, like, doing in it. In it, you know? So take a break.
- [83:15]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, like, they'll take a break, right?
- [83:16]
Gabby Williams
They'll end the season shorter for, like, World cup, but this year or next year, it's actually gonna maybe coincide with the World Cup. So I'm interested to see what they're gonna do when it starts to affect team usa.
- [83:27]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Same.
- [83:27]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. That's what I'm most interested in. So, yeah, go ahead and get some. Get a piece of your own medicine. Team usa, see what it's like.
- [83:34]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Hey, hey, hey. Leave us alone. No, I'm joking. Yeah. Because it is. It's just always gonna be. We saw it this season. A bunch of different European players left their WNBA teams, came back halfway, you know, halfway through the season. So it's just always there. So it's like, the problem that not, how do you solve it? It's, like, almost impossible.
- [83:53]
Gabby Williams
It might just be how USA does it with Pan Am games, that they might just start sending young kids, like, on the European side. Maybe.
- [83:58]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
We just did that with America, too, right? Yeah.
- [84:01]
Gabby Williams
Or America.
- [84:02]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [84:02]
Gabby Williams
Oh, okay.
- [84:02]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. Honestly, if it wasn't Pan Am, we'd be sending.
- [84:05]
Gabby Williams
Right? But that, too. Yeah.
- [84:06]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. All right. So that brings us to, like, present day. You are having career highs this year, like, pretty much across the board. It's like, points, minutes, three point percentage, assist, steals, lead the league, like I said. Blocks even field goal attempts and makes what is clicking. Like, what is going on?
- [84:25]
Gabby Williams
No, he's just kind of letting me be me, man. Like, I feel like her and I have kind of grown up together, like, these last four years, and I think obviously there's a lot more shots to be taken now that we've kind of, like, had this rebuild kind of thing. So she's. She's put a lot of pressure on me to take up a lot of those offensive responsibilities. And like I said earlier, like, I'm always my best when I don't have a choice.
- [84:50]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [84:51]
Gabby Williams
Honestly, like, I know.
- [84:53]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
So that actually is a great segue. I asked you earlier, I think it was around, like, those early WNBA years. Like, how would you have described yourself? Right. You hit me with the duct tape, which I loved. And so now, like, in comparison to that, when you look at yourself now, how do you describe your game?
- [85:09]
Gabby Williams
I mean, we've said it a lot with, like, the French army knife comparison, but I want to be someone that makes my teammates better. Like, the fact to hear you Say that I would cover up a lot of mistakes for you on defense. Like, that's. Those are things I love to hear. Like, I want to hear that. Like, yeah, they are confident in me when it's like crunch time or that they know I'm going to make the right decision and that it elevates everyone's game. Like, that's what I want to be now. Like, I want to make everybody better.
- [85:35]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay, and where do you think, like, specifically just like within the flow of a game, like, where are you most effective? Like, how are you being? Well, by the way, we haven't actually paused your jump shot. The evolution of that. I feel like we have to talk about that first because you've really, I mean, year to year you could see it. But I feel like this year you've really just gotten a lot more confidence. We always saw it, to be honest, when you play with the French team, you could see it when you play in your league, but now it's here in the wood. Wnba. So did something click with that? Is it like a form thing or is it just a confidence thing?
- [86:05]
Gabby Williams
Confidence, yeah, it's a confidence thing for sure. And it's also knowing that like I gotta take em. Like I said, I don't have a choice. Like every keeps coming back to this, but it is true. It's just like, I gotta take them and I'm not about to miss. Like, that's not what's going through your head. If I gotta take them, Like, I gotta take em or I have to be the one to miss sometimes. And there's also like a freedom in playing and knowing that, like my game doesn't rely on that.
- [86:30]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [86:31]
Gabby Williams
Which I think before the shots felt so heavy before because I was like, maybe this is my.
- [86:35]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It was gonna prove something.
- [86:37]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, yeah, it was gonna prove something. It was gonna prove your value. Prove my value or like, this is what the team needs if I don't do it. And then I'm shooting like this, like, you know, honestly. But now it's just like, you know what? And this is what Noe is. And the whole staff is saying to me, they're like, you know what, if it goes in, great. But that's not what we're relying on. And that's not what you should be relying on. It's just an extra aspect of your game, but it's not your whole game. And I think that's kind of taken like the pressure off my shoulders of just like shoot it. Make every shot fun. Yeah, yeah.
- [87:07]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Does it help playing Alongside players like NECA and Sky?
- [87:10]
Gabby Williams
100%.
- [87:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [87:11]
Gabby Williams
100%. Yeah.
- [87:12]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
What's your guys? Well, first of all, what does 3, 4, 5, ABC mean?
- [87:17]
Gabby Williams
Oddly enough, we just realized, like, a couple weeks ago that our numbers are 3, 4, 5.
- [87:20]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, your numbers are 3, 4, 5?
- [87:21]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. Oh, so you didn't realize.
- [87:24]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I was like, why isn't it 1, 2, 3, ABC? Why did you skip the first two?
- [87:29]
Gabby Williams
Well, maybe we should be like, CVE or. I don't know. Are those the 3, 4, 5, 3rd, 4th, and whatever.
- [87:35]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Don't answer it.
- [87:35]
Gabby Williams
Let's stop.
- [87:36]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay.
- [87:36]
Gabby Williams
Let's go back to school.
- [87:37]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
All right. Now it makes sense.
- [87:39]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [87:39]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Let's go talk about playing with them.
- [87:42]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, man, it's just been so fun. Like, honestly, just so, so fun. And just their experience, Sky's competitiveness, like, their edge to everything, has just been, like, such a great addition. But also. Yeah, just like their want to be here, too, and their want to be with us, and they've just been like, yeah, it matters. It matters a lot. And they've been just amazing teammates to me and have just lifted me up and made me feel like the best people ever. The best player ever. I'm like, Neca Gumike and Skyler Diggins feel this way about me? Like, what? Yeah, I'm shooting this shit, like, honestly.
- [88:20]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, no, I get that they give you confidence. Yeah.
- [88:23]
Gabby Williams
But everyone. I mean, since I've been to Seattle, like, playing with you, playing with Stewie. It's been. It's been only that since I got to Seattle.
- [88:29]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. You've obviously publicly talked about just, like, how you feel about this organization. Just like this organization has given you, like, a comfort zone and, like, a place to be your best. So how do you feel about the city of Seattle and the fans?
- [88:44]
Gabby Williams
Ugh. I was just talking to this about Steph Dulson with Steph Dolson. I was just like. Cause fans love her. Like, our fans are just like. They just love everyone, so.
- [88:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
They do. It's a love fest for sure.
- [88:55]
Gabby Williams
It's just a big love fest here. But what I love is the fans love us through everything. Like, they loved us through that 2023 season. They love us during the bad games, too. And that's not something that you have everywhere. Especially, like, I play in Europe, so I know very well.
- [89:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You played in Fenerbachi, too.
- [89:16]
Gabby Williams
But they just, like, love you through everything. And even, like, in the crowd, it'll be a. I'll have a terrible game, though. You got it, Gab. Where? Anywhere else I'd be like, get it together.
- [89:25]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
5.
- [89:25]
Gabby Williams
Like, what's wrong with you? But no, man, they've just. They're just awesome.
- [89:29]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, I know. It's really. It's actually. So I'm gonna say it poetic that you said that, because if I was sitting in your seat right now, and I was. Well, how old are you?
- [89:39]
Gabby Williams
I'm 28.
- [89:40]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
28? Yeah. If I was sitting in your seat right now as a 28 year old, you know, back in 2008 and somebody asked me the same question, my answer would be exactly the same. Because one of my favorite memories was early in my storm days, we had, like, a really talented team. We had already won a championship in, like, 2004. I think it was the next year. So I think we're, like, trying to repeat. And we faced the Houston Comets. And back then you went on the road for a game, and then you had two home games if you were the higher seeded team. So we went to Houston and lost the first game, and now we're coming back home and game two, like, they just fucking killed us. Yeah, it was, like, from the jump. It was just one of those games we could ne. Like, we. No matter what we did, I don't know what the final score was, but I know for a fact, like, very quickly, the game was over. The fans stayed the whole time. And even as, like, the clock was dwindling, the season's ending. We're not gonna repeat. They gave us a standing ovation when the clock did hit zero. And that is Seattle. Like, that's the fan base. That's what they mean. So it's really interesting. Like, two different experiences saying the same thing. Yeah, I love that. But you are an All Star.
- [90:46]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [90:46]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It is your first time. Congratulations.
- [90:48]
Gabby Williams
Thank you.
- [90:49]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Tell me about the call.
- [90:51]
Gabby Williams
What did you call?
- [90:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, my God. Yeah. I literally just interviewed Sonya, too.
- [90:57]
Gabby Williams
Oh, you did?
- [90:57]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yes. So. All right.
- [90:59]
Gabby Williams
Actually, you want me to talk about it? Yeah.
- [91:00]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Oh, yeah, she talked about it. So let's hear it. Give me your perspective or your. Your experience.
- [91:05]
Gabby Williams
Yeah, so my experience. I don't know how this shit works. Like, I don't know how it's supposed to work. Yeah, I know that ain't it, but I'm asleep. We're playing Atlanta. I'm taking my, like, pregame nap. I wake up, I have two missed calls from an unknown number, and I open the. I think the first one was me. The first one was like, hey, Gabby, it's Kathy.
- [91:26]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Okay. So you did get, like, a call for you. Okay.
- [91:31]
Gabby Williams
I did Get a call. And I was like, okay, cool. And then I was like, same number called me. Hey, Sonia, it's Kathy. Same cadence, everything like. And I go, is there a mess up here? Is this true? Am I. Like, I still wasn't sure. And I was like, on the phone with Marine, and she was like, are you an officer? I was like, I. I'm. I'm not sure, actually. I don't know if it's a mess up or whatever. And then I get to the bus, and T had a big smile and Tulksar GM had a big smile and like, yeah, everyone gave me a big hug and people were cheering on the bus. So I was like, oh, okay. It's true. Like, it is. It is true.
- [92:03]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's real.
- [92:05]
Gabby Williams
And then after, I was like, really? I told everyone on the bus. I was like. She called me thinking it was Sonia. What do I do?
- [92:10]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [92:11]
Gabby Williams
And I was like, did Sonia get a call? I don't know. Am I. Do I have to tell her now? I don't know.
- [92:15]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah, you have to be the commissioner.
- [92:17]
Gabby Williams
Right?
- [92:18]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Commissioner for a day.
- [92:20]
Gabby Williams
So then I DM'd her, thinking, like, okay, worst case. Like, she finds out and it's good. Or we just laugh about it.
- [92:25]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah.
- [92:26]
Gabby Williams
She didn't know, which made me feel awful.
- [92:28]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
No. Why? She never would have gotten a call. Or maybe that's not actually true. Her GM or somebody in the front office would have told her, but she would have been.
- [92:37]
Gabby Williams
Well, when I saw her interview with Lisa Leslie, that she did, and she said that she was thinking about it, like, the whole game. Yeah. I was like, sorry, but.
- [92:47]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Yeah. I don't know what else you do. I guess you tell Talisa to call the mystics.
- [92:51]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [92:52]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
I wouldn't overthink it. I think it makes for. I actually saw that interview also, and she also added, like, it does make for a good story.
- [92:58]
Gabby Williams
Yeah.
- [92:59]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's like your first time. You two are never gonna forget that experience of making your first All Star game.
- [93:04]
Gabby Williams
Right? So that's kind of cool.
- [93:06]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
But all jokes aside, what did it mean?
- [93:11]
Gabby Williams
It meant that I was right. Like, I was right to be here. I made the right decisions. Like, everything was supposed to go that way. Like, that's what it felt like. Like, when I say it wouldn't change anything, that's one of those things that, like, you're in the right place, you're doing the right thing. Keep going, like. Cause there are a lot of doubts when you're making these big decisions, when I'm making these big sacrifices, you know? And I was like, it was all worth it. Cause I wanted to get my all star this way with this team, too.
- [93:39]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
All right, You've already kind of talked about. You've had to make these big decisions at different points. So when you look back on it all and you look back on those moments, pivotal decisions, really, which one, if you could pick one, like, which one do you think had the biggest impact.
- [93:56]
Gabby Williams
Choosing to play for a national team? Yeah, you could say, like, going to play for Chopron, but I would say national team more than anything because that gave me such a different look on basketball in general. And, like, you're not playing for money when you play for a French national team. And it really, like, rewired my brain in the way I think about, like, what kind of legacy I want to. Want to leave, what kind of player I want to be. Yeah, I would say French national team has had the biggest impact on my life. And now most of my life is in France now. Like, I'm not even. I speak more French than English now.
- [94:30]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Like, yeah, I know. I remember because, I mean, I know you know this story, but I remember early in 2022, like, early in the season, I come in the locker room, you're doing full on voice notes in French. I was like, oh, you're not even American anymore. I was like, you've turned the corner. This is it. Full on voice notes. I was like, oh, my God. Okay, before I let you go, all said and done, you look back on it. What does success look like for you in this season, individually and then for the Storm?
- [95:01]
Gabby Williams
I think we have a lot of great pieces this year, so I want to just, like. And I still think I'm not playing that well, if that sounds crazy. Like, I still feel like I can be playing better.
- [95:11]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
It's good to have that hunger.
- [95:12]
Gabby Williams
Yeah. Yeah, I still feel like I can be playing better even. We were talking with Elijah, our new, like, personal development guy. He's just like, I'm still waiting for, like, a big game. I'm like, I am too. Like, I know I'm playing well, but it still feels like there can be more. And that's a good feeling to have. I still think we can keep getting better, but I just see, like, I just see a really good future, honestly. Individually, I just want to keep enjoying being where I'm at. Most importantly, that's also one thing that. That the whole Chicago situation helped me learn was, like, just go somewhere where you go to work and you smile every day and, like, you feel good. So I'M just gonna keep staying in that pocket and continuing in that because it you're happy, you play better, life is better. Everything's just better when you're in a good environment.
- [95:55]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
Very true. All right, Gabby. Merci.
- [95:58]
Gabby Williams
Thanks for having me. This is so fun.
- [96:03]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
All right, everybody. That was Gabby. What a great conversation. Super fun to learn about her journey and how it's been about choosing herself, whether that meant finding her own pace, committing to the French national team, choosing to stay in Seattle. The path hasn't always been easy. But looking back, she has zero regrets. And that is a wonderful place to be. And with everything she's accomplished so far, it's clear she's only scratching the surface. Hope you guys enjoyed it. This episode is a co production of two GetHer and Vox Media. Our producers are Tommy Alter, Jason Gallagher, Richie Bozek, Harry Krinsky, Jess Clarendon and Melanie Carter. Everything feels a bit uncertain right now. A few months ago, you never would have expected eggs being factored into your monthly budget. New sources of stress equal. More opportunities for breakouts to strike. Luckily, Mighty Patch original shrinks. The look of pimples in just one use.
- [97:00]
Gabby Williams
We'd say that's a pretty good deal.
- [97:02]
Interviewer (possibly a sports journalist or podcast host)
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