The Seattle Storm officially made the move to extend a core qualifying offer to Gabby Williams for the 2025 WNBA season, per WNBA.com. As a result, Williams will not become an unrestricted free agent. She can still be traded, though. However, Williams may end up remaining in Seattle for the 2025 campaign.
Williams re-joined the Storm in 2024 after not playing during the first part of the season. The decision to sign Williams is interesting, and one has to wonder if it has anything to do with Jewell Loyd's trade request. Keeping Williams on the roster would help the Storm if they end up trading Loyd, something that could certainly happen amid her request.
Gabby Williams' WNBA career
Williams made her WNBA debut in 2018 with the Chicago Sky. She played in Chicago from 2018-2020 before not playing in the league in 2021. Williams would return in 2022, as she joined the Storm. Williams is a good player who can help a contending team win games. Williams only appeared in 12 regular season games with the Storm in 2024, but her impact was important.
The veteran averaged 10.3 points while recording 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She also shot 48.1 percent from the field in the 2024 campaign. Seattle clearly took notice, as the better players in the league often receive core offers.
Gabby Williams has never made an All-Star team, but that could change in 2025. Her potential is undeniable.
Storm preparing for 2025 season
The Storm finished the 2024 WNBA season with a respectable 25-15 record. They ended up finishing as the No. 5 seed. However, they fell short of their goal of winning a championship in the postseason. Although the playoffs did not go to plan for the Storm, they still have hope for the future.
Seattle has a big decision to make with Loyd, however. They do not have to trade her, but they also may decide to make the move given her request. The Storm will want to receive quality WNBA talent in return, though. Seattle isn't rebuilding, so they won't settle for a trade that doesn't instantly help their roster.
The Storm will be one of the more intriguing teams to follow as the offseason continues. A Loyd trade would impact the entire WNBA in a pivotal manner. It will be a situation to monitor.
As for Gabby Williams, she will likely remain in Seattle this season.