Gabby Williams, France win bronze at Tokyo Olympics

[Carnac]

TOKYO – UConn women's basketball alumna Gabby Williams helped lead France to the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a 91-76 win over Serbia on Saturday. Williams led France with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the bronze medal game. She averaged 10.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in the Olympics.

“It’s the Olympics,” Williams said after the bronze medal game according to the Associated Press. “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s the biggest stage in the world, and it’s so much emotion. There’s only one shot at the Tokyo Olympics. This will never happen again. I made the right choice. I did what I was supposed to do, and I couldn’t be happier.”

This is France's second Olympic medal in women's basketball. Les Bleues won silver in London 2012. Williams is the second UConn women's basketball alumna to win Olympic bronze. Svetlana Abrosimova won bronze with Russia in Beijing 2008. Congratulations to Gabrielle Lisa Williams aka: "Gabulous" and Team France on winning the bronze medal. Job well done.

Williams, France Win Bronze at Tokyo Olympics - University of Connecticut Athletics

UConn women's basketball alumna Gabby Williams helped lead France to the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a 91-76 win over Serbia on Saturday.

uconnhuskies.com

Gabby Williams wins bronze with France, says her WNBA suspension worth it​

 

[JellyBean]

Congrats, Team France and Gabby!!! Pretty exciting game.

 

[eebmg]

An interesting quote. There was always tension for Gabby between being a post player and a guard.

“I’m finally happy playing basketball again,” Williams told Voepel. “Really just enjoying myself; basketball is fun for me. And I feel like I’m becoming the player I’ve always wanted to strive to be.”

It has taken alot of time for Gabby to build the skills she needs to play the position she wants. The handle has really improved and her 3pt shooting has as well. All that remains is to really solifify the mid range. Her passing skills and desire to pass are still there and her perimeter defense is very strong and her aggression challenging in the post on drives is looking alot like it used to in college. I look forward to what she will bring to LA I

 

[boontonbomber]

I'm absolutely thrilled for Gabby. What team wouldn't appreciate all the things that she brings to the floor? Oh, right, Chicago.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Did Gabby play the post for France?
Is she playing the position she prefers?
Hope so after she gave us so many great memories at UConn
Who can forget the first time they saw her jump into the stratosphere to grab a rebound over someone half a foot taller than her

 

[jdubct]

An interesting quote. There was always tension for Gabby between being a post player and a guard.

“I’m finally happy playing basketball again,” Williams told Voepel. “Really just enjoying myself; basketball is fun for me. And I feel like I’m becoming the player I’ve always wanted to strive to be.”

It has taken alot of time for Gabby to build the skills she needs to play the position she wants. The handle has really improved and her 3pt shooting has as well. All that remains is to really solifify the mid range. Her passing skills and desire to pass are still there and her perimeter defense is very strong and her aggression challenging in the post on drives is looking alot like it used to in college. I look forward to what she will bring to LA I

She was a guard in high school. There was an overwhelming need for her to play an undersized forward. Now, she can continue to develop her guard game. Good luck to her.

 

[EricLA]

Congrats to France, and of course special shout out to Gabby!!

Williams saved her best performance for last, finishing with 17 points (6 of 9 shooting, 4 of 5 on 3s), eight rebounds and four assists against Serbia. She averaged 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the tournament, showing off her well-known versatility.

“It was extremely shocking, to say the least,” Williams told Voepel. “It was a complicated situation with me having to miss so many games, but I thought from the get-go there was never an expectation for me to be at [WNBA] training camp.”

The quotes don't really tell the whole story. I saw her interviewed on the NBC info channel after the game and she said something like "My coach suspended me for the season. It was a huge mess and extremely shocking" or something like that. It sounded like there was absolutely NO LOVE LOST between her and the Chicago staff.

I'm very glad she demanded a trade and is now with LA. Not sure what is going on in Chicago, but I did not see Meeseman, nor any of the other players who suited up for their countries for the Olympics "suspended" for the season. And Gabby was apparently suspended for not showing up to training camp. There were numerous WNBA players who showed up late due to overseas obligations, including Collier. None of them were suspended to my knowledge.

Her suspension makes her ineligible to play for the remainder of the year. Really crappy thing for Chicago to do IMHO. I get the feeling Gabby's attitude is "screw them" and I concur 100% if that's how she feels.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Gabulous! Tres bien!

Somewhere, Jay Bilas is smiling and thinking, “Told you so!”

 

[eebmg]

Gabulous! Tres bien!

Somewhere, Jay Bilas is smiling and thinking, “Told you so!”

Gabby's biggest opponent has always been herself (until Wade that is ). Hopefully, she has turned the page on any self doubts.

 

[Orangutan]

Congrats to France, and of course special shout out to Gabby!!

Williams saved her best performance for last, finishing with 17 points (6 of 9 shooting, 4 of 5 on 3s), eight rebounds and four assists against Serbia. She averaged 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the tournament, showing off her well-known versatility.

“It was extremely shocking, to say the least,” Williams told Voepel. “It was a complicated situation with me having to miss so many games, but I thought from the get-go there was never an expectation for me to be at [WNBA] training camp.”

The quotes don't really tell the whole story. I saw her interviewed on the NBC info channel after the game and she said something like "My coach suspended me for the season. It was a huge mess and extremely shocking" or something like that. It sounded like there was absolutely NO LOVE LOST between her and the Chicago staff.

I'm very glad she demanded a trade and is now with LA. Not sure what is going on in Chicago, but I did not see Meeseman, nor any of the other players who suited up for their countries for the Olympics "suspended" for the season. And Gabby was apparently suspended for not showing up to training camp. There were numerous WNBA players who showed up late due to overseas obligations, including Collier. None of them were suspended to my knowledge.

Her suspension makes her ineligible to play for the remainder of the year. Really crappy thing for Chicago to do IMHO. I get the feeling Gabby's attitude is "screw them" and I concur 100% if that's how she feels.

Meesseman is a free agent. Washington didn't have to suspend her because she was never under contract for 2021.

Between Eurobasket prep, Eurobasket, and Olympic prep, France didn't want Gabby to play in the WNBA until after the Olympics. Unlike, for example, Spain who only caused Astou Ndour to miss a handful of games for the actual Eurobasket tournament.

You didn't see any other French players (such as Marine Johannes) in the WNBA this year either.

That was the problem for Chicago - they didn't want to hold a roster spot for Gabby when she wouldn't show up until after the Olympics.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[Carnac]

Two UConn greats showing love and respect for each other. I’m so happy for Gabby. I’m glad she was able to participate in these Olympic Games and come away with a medal. No doubt she‘ll return for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. You would think with the success she had in these games, there would be a spot for her on the USA team. If not, team France will definitely have a spot for her.

 

[cordarone]

Two UConn greats showing love and respect for each other. I’m so happy for Gabby. I’m glad she was able to participate in these Olympic Games and come away with a medal. No doubt she‘ll return for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. You would think with the success she had in these games, there would be a spot for her on the USA team. If not, team France will definitely have a spot for her.

?
Played for one country in a main official competition of FIBA, can't play for another country (see Nneka O.)
Rules only allow for exceptional circumstances , of which "she's now good enough to play on the US team" is most likely not one of them.

 

[Carnac]

Congrats to France, and of course special shout out to Gabby!!

Williams saved her best performance for last, finishing with 17 points (6 of 9 shooting, 4 of 5 on 3s), eight rebounds and four assists against Serbia. She averaged 10.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the tournament, showing off her well-known versatility.

“It was extremely shocking, to say the least,” Williams told Voepel. “It was a complicated situation with me having to miss so many games, but I thought from the get-go there was never an expectation for me to be at [WNBA] training camp.”

The quotes don't really tell the whole story. I saw her interviewed on the NBC info channel after the game and she said something like "My coach suspended me for the season. It was a huge mess and extremely shocking" or something like that. It sounded like there was absolutely NO LOVE LOST between her and the Chicago staff.

I'm very glad she demanded a trade and is now with LA. Not sure what is going on in Chicago, but I did not see Meeseman, nor any of the other players who suited up for their countries for the Olympics "suspended" for the season. And Gabby was apparently suspended for not showing up to training camp. There were numerous WNBA players who showed up late due to overseas obligations, including Collier. None of them were suspended to my knowledge.

Her suspension makes her ineligible to play for the remainder of the year. Really crappy thing for Chicago to do IMHO. I get the feeling Gabby's attitude is "screw them" and I concur 100% if that's how she feels.

Eric, I could not agree with your take more. Some teams and coaches are better than others. Wade and Chicago simply were not a good fit for Gabby. Hopefully Los Angeles will be. One thing for sure, LA is much closer to Sparks Nevada than Chicago is. She’ll see her family in attendance at home games more now. Wade and the Sky actually did her a favor since that was the way they really felt about her. I know, nothing personal, just business right? Yeah right.

 

[Carnac]

?
Played for one country in a main official competition of FIBA, can't play for another country (see Nneka O.)
Rules only allow for exceptional circumstances , of which "she's now good enough to play on the US team" is most likely not one of them.

I don’t pretend to know the rules regarding eligibility to play for another country if you were not born there. I know some players have dual citizenship. If there is a rule that says you can only play for one country during Olympic competition, please enlighten me.

Williams was born in the US. You’re telling me that since she’s played for Team France, she can never play for team USA? Just my opinion, but I think Gabby has proven she is good enough to be one of the 12 members of the 2024 national team. There will be first time players on that roster that won’t have the international or Olympic experience that she does.

 

[Bald Husky]

There are so many ex UConn players still around that the UConn haters always have a field day dumping on them and complaining about them taking the spots from other deserving players. In some respect, they are right, so there is only one real solution to take care of this problem, and that is for UConn to join the WNBA with Geno as coach. If UConn wins the WNBA championship then they cannot deny the number of their players that dominate the olympic team.

 

[cordarone]

I don’t pretend to know the rules regarding eligibility to play for another country if you were not born there. I know some players have dual citizenship. If there is a rule that says you can only play for one country during Olympic competition, please enlighten me.

Williams was born in the US. You’re telling me that since she’s played for Team France, she can never play for team USA? Just my opinion, but I think Gabby has proven she is good enough to be one of the 12 members of the 2024 national team. There will be first time players on that roster that won’t have the international or Olympic experience that she does.

Not Olympic rules, FIBA rules. Article 3-22 from the section on Eligibility and National Status of Players:

A player who has played in a main official competition of FIBA (see article 2-1) after having reached his seventeenth (17) birthday may not play for a national team of another country.

From another rule (3-16), anyone with dual citizenship can choose which one nation they wish to play for, but not both.

 

[EricLA]

Meesseman is a free agent. Washington didn't have to suspend her because she was never under contract for 2021.

Between Eurobasket prep, Eurobasket, and Olympic prep, France didn't want Gabby to play in the WNBA until after the Olympics. Unlike, for example, Spain who only caused Astou Ndour to miss a handful of games for the actual Eurobasket tournament.

You didn't see any other French players (such as Marine Johannes) in the WNBA this year either.

That was the problem for Chicago - they didn't want to hold a roster spot for Gabby when she wouldn't show up until after the Olympics.

But in doing what they did before trading her, they eliminated the possibility of her coming back anywhere. They traded her to LA, so why not do that out the gate? Bad form for Chicago. Syl wanted out, EDD wanted out - something stinks there. I wish Steph would get out as well.

 

[Orangutan]

But in doing what they did before trading her, they eliminated the possibility of her coming back anywhere. They traded her to LA, so why not do that out the gate? Bad form for Chicago. Syl wanted out, EDD wanted out - something stinks there. I wish Steph would get out as well.

I don't know if they would have had any takers for a trade before she was suspended.

They probably should have just released her but then she could have joined a rival after the Olympics and they would have got nothing.

 

[Performance]

Congratulations to Gabby, I am thrilled for her, always one of my favorite players. Chicago's loss!!!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Gabby may have said it many times, but I don't recall hearing it. I'm very happy for both of them.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[eebmg]

Can anyone really tell the difference between Bronze and Gold?

 

[cordarone]

Traduction: What an adventure with an incredible group. It's hard to find the words.
I am overcome with emotion but above all I am proud to be French!!
WE HAVE AN OLYMPIC MEDAL!!!