"America is not the entire world"- Gabby Williams takes veiled swipe at WNBA prioritization rule 

Gabby Williams is a couple of days away from making her return to the WNBA. After only playing 10 games in 2023 and sitting out the first chunk of this season, Williams re-signed with the Seattle Storm on a rest-of-season deal following her impressive performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

She had the chance to talk about the controversial WNBA prioritization rule, making a spicy comment about the owners who pushed this rule and how they should handle these situations.

"We know it's a select amount of owners. We can guess who these owners are. I could say the names but I'll be classy," she initially joked.

Williams added:

"I've said this before, it shouldn't be a blanket rule, I don't understand. I understand the one to have players here, and I think part of the issue goes hand in hand with the money that we're making as well, but I don't think it should be a blanket rule. I think if a team can handle it, they can handle it. If not, don't sign European players or players who play in Europe.

"And yeah, America is not the entire world. I know there's some people in a certain place that need to hear that," Williams finished.

Gabby Williams has had a tumultuous history with this result, which can be credited (or blamed) for her exit from the Chicago Sky. Once the rule became official, the then Chicago Sky head coach and general manager James Wade said that the Sky wasn't a priority for Williams and placed her on the full-season suspended list.

Gabby Williams previously said she wouldn't play this WNBA season

Almost a year ago, in September, Gabby Williams told reporters that 2024 didn't look like a likely possibility for her to return to the WNBA. At the Storm's exit interviews, Williams named the prioritization rule and the Paris Olympics as major reasons for her potential absence.

"2024 looks like it's not possible, more so because of prioritization and of course even if I were to come, it would be in August with the Olympics," Williams said, via ESPN. "But 2025, I plan on coming back."

She's back with the Storm, a team she calls 'home' and a system she knows very well. Gabby Williams is expected to make her season debut next Monday when the Storm host the Washington Mystics at Climate Pledge Arena.