The Seattle Storm on Tuesday designated Gabby Williams as their core participant, that means she won’t grow to be an unrestricted free agent.
Groups have till Jan. 20 — the day earlier than gamers and groups can start negotiating — to increase core designations to eligible gamers. Williams joins Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings) and Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) as gamers with that designation, which permits them to signal the one-year qualifying supply on the WNBA’s highest attainable wage ($249,244) however prevents them from signing with one other workforce as a free agent.
Williams’ scenario is notable as a result of she reportedly indicated to groups final summer season that committing to not utilizing the core designation on her would issue into her determination on the place to signal after main France to a silver medal within the Olympics.
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Sources instructed ESPN that Williams and her representatives weren’t shocked by Seattle’s determination to make use of the core designation on her and have been working carefully with the Storm on figuring out her subsequent steps.
Due to Williams’ late arrival, she performed simply 12 video games for the Storm final season, versus the complete seasons that different core gamers completed for his or her groups. Her worldwide commitments have additionally prevented her from going by way of the everyday unrestricted free company course of. She re-signed with Seattle in July 2023 as a restricted free agent after recovering from a concussion suffered enjoying professionally in France earlier than contemplating provides from a number of groups final yr.
Though the Storm’s season led to a sweep by the Aces within the opening spherical of the playoffs, Williams mentioned afterwards she thought re-signing with Seattle was the right transfer.
The 12 video games that Williams performed for Seattle in 2024 represented the very best stretch of her WNBA profession. She averaged a career-high 10.3 factors along with 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per sport. An all-defensive second-team choose in 2022, the final full season Williams performed within the WNBA, she was additionally chosen to the Olympic All-Star 5 after averaging 15.5 factors and a pair of.8 steals for host France.
Williams had 19 factors, 7 rebounds and three steals within the gold medal sport, however France fell 67-66 as the USA gained its eighth consecutive Olympic championship.
Beneath the present WNBA collective bargaining settlement, which expires after this season, gamers are topic to the core designation a most of two instances, or for a single contract lasting no less than two years. Groups can use the core designation on one free agent every offseason until that spot is taken by a participant nonetheless beneath a multiyear contract signed with the workforce after receiving the designation.
That is the primary time Williams has been given the core designation.
Gamers who’ve obtained the core qualifying supply can nonetheless be traded. Sabally instructed reporters final week she has performed her final sport in Dallas and is working with the Wings on discovering a brand new house.
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou contributed to this report.