Storm’s Gabby Williams makes bold WNBA, Unrivaled claim after CBA talks

Gabby Williams, a Seattle Storm forward, received her first WNBA All-Star selection in 2025 after eight turbulent professional years. Using the All-Star media day platform, she criticized the WNBA's fairness toward players following recent Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) talks. Williams asserted the league is attempting to "push out" rival women’s basketball organizations like the Unrivaled League and Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball League.

Williams specifically accused the WNBA of suppressing competition without offering superior compensation, stating, "It’s very clear that the WNBA wants to push away all other leagues without paying us more than what those leagues pay us." She emphasized that proposed CBA changes still fail to address pay disparities, calling it "really important to push against these active issues." Her comments stem from a Thursday night CBA meeting that reinforced her long-standing advocacy for equitable athlete wages.

Despite her activism, Williams is experiencing a career-best season with the Storm, averaging personal highs of 13.2 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. This follows her re-signing with Seattle at the end of the 2024 season—a move that came after speculation her outspokenness contributed to the team initially not re-signing her during the 2023-2024 offseason.

Williams has consistently championed better pay since entering the WNBA as the No. 4 draft pick in 2018. Like many peers, she supplements her income by playing overseas during WNBA offseasons, primarily in France, where she holds dual citizenship and captains the national team. Her prominence grew during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she led France to a narrow one-point loss against Team USA in the gold medal game.

Notably, despite her vocal stance on player equity, Williams is not part of the WNBPA leadership board. Storm teammate Nneka Ogwumike serves as the union’s president, with Lexie Brown also representing players on the board.