Gabby Williams is enjoying the most impressive season of her seven-year career in the WNBA, earning her first All-Star selection while posting career-best averages in points, assists, steals, and blocks. Her Seattle Storm teammates have highlighted her all-around impact by giving her the affectionate nickname “French Army Knife.”
On an episode of Mariah Rose’s Full Circle Podcast, teammate Lexie Brown, who is signed under a two-year, $195,226 contract, praised Williams for her versatility and exceptional athleticism. Brown explained that because of Williams’ ability to contribute in every aspect of the game, the team refers to her as the French Army Knife, emphasizing her comprehensive skill set and two-way influence.
“Her athleticism is insane,” Brown told Rose (timestamp 51:23 onwards). “Some of the rebounds she grabs, some of the steals she gets, some of the passes she catches are just I’m like, “What the hell, Gabby?” So, she’s a silent assassin.
“You might not notice that she’s on the court and then she’ll do something amazing and you’ll be like, “Oh, there’s Gabby.” And then you’ll look up and she’ll have like 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and you’re like, “What did she do all of that?” So, she’s our what do we call our French Army Knife. You know, it’s a Swiss Army Knife, but she’s French.”
Williams currently averages 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, standing out as the only player on the Storm to rank in the top three for all four major statistical categories. Her well-rounded game is essential to Seattle’s solid 15-11 record as the season approaches the midway point.
A Teammate’s Quick Correction on Williams’ Self-Description
At the close of the 2024 season, Gabby Williams spoke about her role on the team during a press conference, describing herself as a Swiss Army Knife, a term highlighting her multi-faceted contributions.
However, Nneka Ogwumike quickly interrupted to make a small but meaningful correction.
“(Defensively) I always have to kind of like set the tone, so I know that’s my role,” Williams said. “On offense, Noelle’s just been, since I got here, ‘you’re the Swiss Army Knife, you got to be what we need.”
“French,” Ogwumike politely reminded Williams.
Recent Team Performance and Upcoming Challenges
Since the All-Star break, Gabby Williams and the Seattle Storm have shown inconsistent form, losing two of three games. The team hopes to finish their current three-game road trip with a victory against the Connecticut Sun on Monday. Following that, they will return to Washington for a three-game homestand, aiming to build on their midseason momentum and maintain playoff positioning.