Gabby Williams: ‘Unrivaled Saved the WNBA’s Butt’

As the WNBA CBA negotiations heat up, Gabby Williams has become one of the loudest voices advocating for change.

Speaking on the podcast Good Game with Sarah Spain on Tuesday, the Seattle Storm forward credited 3-on-3 women’s basketball league Unrivaled for allowing many of the WNBA’s top stars to stay in the United States during the offseason. Playing overseas is still a common route for WNBA players and it can interfere with their ability to return in time for the start of the WNBA season.

“I think Unrivaled saved the WNBA’s butt this year because a lot of players made it on time to training camp. Which is ironic that the W doesn’t like Unrivaled because the W wouldn’t have had a lot of players without Unrivaled because of prioritization.” 

She was referring to the prioritization rule, a rule in the current CBA that took effect in 2023 and fines players with two or more years of experience who are unable to be in the market of their teams by the start of training camp or May 1—whichever comes first. 

Williams, who did not play in Unrivaled, has been one the players directly affected by the rule. She plays for the French national team and missed most of last season to represent France in the Olympics. 

In 2021, she missed the entire season to play for France. She was on the Chicago Sky roster at the time, and the team suspended her without pay.

Williams said that the “ultimate goal” is for players to play in just one league—whether that’s the W, Unrivaled, or overseas. The WNBA, however, doesn’t offer a salary she views as sufficient to justify additional basketball commitments.

“We don’t want to play multiple seasons, that’s the whole point. But unfortunately, the income in the W just isn’t appealing enough for us to only play in the W,” Williams said. She added that she’d consider leaving the WNBA if she received better offers from other leagues.

The All-Star forward was also outspoken about her thoughts during WNBA All-Star weekend on the day after the first in-person CBA meeting.

“The [WNBA] needs to pay us more. That’s obviously why they don’t want us in these leagues,” Williams told reporters in Indianapolis.

Unrivaled, which launched in January, has received criticism due to a “conflict of interest” that exists between its cofounders, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The two WNBA All-Stars are also members of the WNBPA executive committee.

Unrivaled has claimed it wants both leagues to thrive.

“I’m hopeful they come to a CBA agreement,” Unrivaled cofounder Alex Bazzell—and husband of Collier—told reporters, including Front Office Sports, during WNBA All-Star weekend.