Gabby Williams: Top defender without EuroBasket, what now?

Gabby Williams: Top defender without EuroBasket, what now?

Attention basketball fans, because a lot is happening in the world of the WNBA! Gabby Williams, who is considered one of the best defenders in her profession, has truly earned the title of best interceptions. She challenged Leïla Lacan of the Connecticut Sun on the way to the trophy. Williams has already racked up an impressive 99 interceptions this season, while Lacan only has a fraction with 55 interceptions, although it's also worth noting that she has only played 25 games since returning from EuroBasket. This performance shows how strong Williams is on defense and is fighting his way to first place in the rankings. According to Basketeurope, Williams is a real leader on the floor.

But there are also other players who achieve high throwing rates. Iliana Rupert of the Golden State Valkyries is right behind Sonia Citron when it comes to three-point shooting percentages. Her hit rate of 50% in 10 attempts (5 out of 10) gives hope that she can do even better in the near future. Dominique Malonga, who also plays for the Seattle Storm, also made a remarkable entry into the WNBA at the age of 19. Although she is in the top 5 with her field shooting rate, she urgently needs to improve her free throw rate of 56.9%.

Absence at EuroBasket

Amidst all these great performances, however, there is one downer: both Gabby Williams and Dominique Malonga will not play for the French national team at EuroBasket 2025. This is particularly unfortunate as both players were part of the team that narrowly lost to the USA 67-66 in the final of the Paris Olympics. Williams, named “Best Defender” and elected to the tournament’s All-Star Five, scored 19 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the final. A dramatic throw at the final siren separated France by just one point from extra time.

Malonga made her first major international appearance at the Olympics and showed she has potential with averages of 2.8 points and 2.0 rebounds. She was selected second overall by the Seattle Storm in the WNBA draft. Despite the attractive opportunity to play at EuroBasket, she has decided to fully concentrate on her rookie season with the Storm. Williams also wants to play her first full WNBA season since 2022 after being sidelined for two months in 2023 due to a serious concussion. In 12 games, she scored an impressive 10.3 points per game.

The look forward

The French national team, which will begin preparations for EuroBasket on Sunday, faces Greece, Switzerland and Turkey in Group A. The final will take place on June 29th in Greece. At this moment, however, Williams and Malonga's focus is entirely on their team in the WNBA. Additionally, the Seattle Storm face challenges as they only have 11 players on the roster due to the WNBA salary cap rules. In addition, Katie Lou Samuelson is expected to miss the entire 2025 season due to an ACL injury, which makes the situation anything but easier for the team. It will be interesting to see what performances the Storm will produce this season.