France Olympics Standout Gabby Williams Would Fit Great With Indiana Fever

France Olympics standout Gabby Williams would be a good addition to the Indiana Fever roster

James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Fever need an athlete more than anything. And it just so happens one might be available on the open market now that the Olympics are over. France standout Gabby Williams is an unrestricted free agent and is eligible to return to the WNBA, with the Fever offering a seamless fit.

First, let's look at the logistics of the situation before getting to what makes sense on the court. ESPN women's basketball writer Alexa Phillipou reported the league indeed confirmed with her that Williams could play in the W the remainder of this season.

There's understandable confusion over the WNBA’s prioritization rules & how they impact European stars at the Olympics

Confirmed by the league: Gabby Williams, Emma Meesseman & Marine Johannes are *not* impacted by prioritization + could play in the rest of the W season (cont.)

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) August 11, 2024

That sets up the next question of which teams are in a position to possibly sign her. According to Spotrac, Indiana currently has the 4th most cap space in the league with $61,505 available. Obviously it is hard to know what the financials of a deal for Williams would look like and she has previously stated that money was a hindrance to her playing in the WNBA full time and that she was unlikely to play in the W this season.

The teams with more room than the Fever are the Chicago Sky, Los Angeles Sparks, and Washington Mystics. The Sky seem like an unlikely destination after Williams publicly told Angel Reese she doesn't want to go back to the organization. Though Sparks All-Star Dearica Hamby has apparently also actively recruited Gabby, whether playfully or otherwise.

Here’s the exchange between the individuals mentioned above..and it looks like Dearica Hamby joined in on recruiting Gabby to the Sparks 🧐 pic.twitter.com/n4yZVCizvV

— Moolah (@prodbymoolah) August 12, 2024

From a basketball standpoint, the Fever make a ton of sense. Indiana has been searching for a versatile wing player to up overall team speed and defense. After starting Kristy Wallace to begin the season they have tried Katie Lou Samuelson, Lexie Hull and others in that spot.

Williams would give the squad a different look when it comes to athleticism and bounce. Gabby could help guard opposing perimeter stars, grab boards, and run the floor as a target for Caitlin Clark. The only thing she doesn't bring that Indiana could also use is consistent outside shooting.

It seems there are more realistic options for Williams from a monetary standpoint, that's without knowing what maneuvers could still be made to free up space before the August 20 trade deadline. But as far as fit on the floor goes, the Fever should at least be on the phone.