Gabby Williams' Overseas Game Interrupted by Fireworks Thrown On Court
Former Seattle Storm standout Gabby Williams has made a lot of news in recent weeks about the WNBA's pay structure.
The 28-year-old former UConn Husky and Team France star from the Paris Olympics called out the WNBA and commissioner Cathy Engelbert for the league's pay structure, saying, "We were promised team marketing agreements and league marketing agreements, but [the WNBA has] fallen quite short," during her end-of-season exit interview with the Storm.
She also added, "So it's still not enough for us international players to want to stay here. And that's a choice of the players. If I make a choice to make more money, whatever, and then teams are mad that I don't come back, but that's how it is."
As a result, Williams elected to play overseas this offseason, for the Istanbul, Turkey-based professional basketball team, Fenerbahçe S.K.
While Williams is probably making more money by playing overseas than staying with the WNBA, this decision has also exposed her to something she'd almost certainly never experience playing in America: fireworks being thrown on the court.
In the first quarter of Williams' season debut with Fenerbahçe S.K, the game was put on pause because firecrackers were thrown on the court while the game was underway.
X user @gabbysloops posted a video of this taking place, along with a concerned-looking Williams and her teammates getting instructed to return to their locker room while this worrisome ordeal was sorted out.
wtf is wrong with you. pic.twitter.com/IEcoISEQG5
— gabby williams loops (@gabbysloops) October 2, 2024
Ultimately, any potential threat was quelled, and the game resumed play after a short delay.
It's good to hear that this instance was probably nothing more than a foolish fan making a poor decision. But if instances like these become commonplace, perhaps Williams will be more keen to return stateside next season.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.