Gabby Williams: “Sometimes I look up my words in English! »

In an interview with the Federal Press BasketballFranco-American from ASVEL, Gabby Williams (1.80m, 26 years old) talks about her joy of playing in France and the regulatory issues of reconciling the national team and the WNBA.

“In Sobron, I liked it, but admit there wasn’t much to do,” he says. Besides, I don’t speak Hungarian, so outside of basketball I sometimes feel awkward. Nice to be back in France. My family is in Paris and I’ve toured a few times. I enjoy it and it’s nice to think about something other than the pitch. And speak French! Sometimes I look up my words in English! The club signed Brian in January and I told my teammates that I was happy to speak English (…) and I wasn’t shy. Before, I was afraid of making mistakes. It helps in my role as a leader to talk in the locker room and interact with the coaches and the youth. This is an important aspect. »

Gabby Williams has been suspended by the Chicago Sky for prioritizing France, the 2021 European Championships and the Tokyo Olympics. Then she was transferred to the Seattle Storm, where she feels better, but she knows that the relationship between the WNBA and the international players is not improving and a painful choice must be made.

“No, it’s bad. It’s going to be a real problem for players like Breanna Stewart, for example. And the rule is that if you miss the first day of training camp in 2024, you’re suspended for the entire season. But what are Breanna, Emma Meisman, Janquel Jones, Marine Johannes or myself going to do? ?Brenna Stewart is never going to choose her WNBA contract over Fenerbahçe. The WNBA is going to lose a lot of great players. »

Photo: Jave Avet L’Oiseau