Former UConn women's basketball star Gabby Williams has been tasked with leading an ultra-talented France squad that's hoping to finally knock off the United States at the FIBA Women's World Cup this month.
Williams was named captain of the Bleues Tuesday as she prepares to make her 56th appearance for France against Hungary Friday evening. She becomes the first active WNBA player to captain France at an Olympic Games or FIBA World Cup since 2014.
The Golden State Valkyries star takes over as captain from 32-year-old Valériane Ayayi, who returned to the WNBA after more than a decade this season with Phoenix. Sarah Michel, who played her entire club career overseas, captained France at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and 2024 Olympics before announcing her international retirement.
While Williams was born in Nevada, her mother, Thérèse, hails from France and the forward grew up speaking French. Excelling in both basketball and track - Williams competed in the 2012 Olympic trials - during her high school tenure, she committed to UConn over several high-profile suitors before the 2014-15 season. She used that athleticism to post one of just five triple-doubles in program history and left Storrs with two national championships and two second-team All-America selections.
Selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Williams experienced an uneven start to her professional career, playing in just 147 games over her first seven years - she was suspended for the entire 2021 season for choosing a commitment to the French national team over training camp with the Chicago Sky. She's realized her All-Star potential over the last two seasons, currently averaging a career-high 14.3 points to lead a surging 29-11 Golden State squad.
Williams is one of eight WNBA players joining the French national team this month alongside Dominique Malonga, Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier, forming a talented core and likely posing the greatest barrier to the United States capturing a fifth straight FIBA World Cup crown. France came within a point of stunning the United States on home soil at the 2024 Paris Olympics and will look to take another step forward in Germany this month.
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This article originally published at Former UConn star Gabby Williams named France captain ahead of FIBA World Cup.