Two days after coach Noelle Quinn said she’s “moving forward thinking that we’ll not have her,” the Storm are optimistic Gabby Williams will play for them this year.
When asked about Williams following Friday’s practice, Quinn smiled and said: “Believe it or not, there’s still a chance. … She has some documentation as it refers to her club, and so we’re just waiting on the update with that.”
Quinn added: “I know I sound like a broken record, but there’s still a chance. Put it this way, I’m more hopeful today than I was before. So, we’ll see.”
Storm general manager Talisa Rhea has been in frequent communication with Williams’ agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas and the WNBA to receive clarity on the league’s new prioritization rule as it pertains to Williams’ situation.
The league stipulates players must complete their offseason playing obligations before the start of the WNBA regular season Friday to be eligible for the season.
It’s believed Williams terminated her contract and played her final game Wednesday with her French team ASVEL, which has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three league finals. Game 2 is Saturday.
The Storm expect to re-sign Williams, who is a restricted free agent, and hopes the 5-foot-11 guard/forward can rejoin the team in a week or so.
Williams suffered a concussion May 9, which could delay her return to Seattle, Quinn said.
If Williams returns to the Storm this season, she’ll be fined 1% of her base salary for every day of training camp she missed, according to the league’s prioritization rule in the collective bargaining agreement.
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