A'ja Wilson, Gabby Williams and more: Paris 2024 stars making their mark in the WNBA 

By Maggie Hendricks
3 min|
Gabby Williams playing for Seattle Storm
Picture by (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
A'ja WILSONGabby WILLIAMSJulie VANLOORhyne HOWARDSatou SABALLYYueru LI

The WNBA season took a break for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 because so many players were represented in the Olympic tournament. In fact, 11 of the league's 12 teams were represented at Paris 2024.

Just a few days after Paris 2024 ended and medals were awarded in women’s basketball, several Olympians were back on the court with their WNBA teams. The season has continued, with seven of eight teams already qualified for the postseason, which begins on September 20. Which players have stood out for their WNBA teams after playing for their country?

Rhyne Howard, USA 3x3/Atlanta Dream

After winning bronze with the U.S. 3x3 team, Rhyne Howard returned to five-on-five basketball. Her Atlanta Dream are one of three WNBA teams fighting for the final spot in the playoffs, and Howard is doing everything she can to get her team to the WNBA postseason. She’s scored 30+ points in her last three games.

Yueru Li, People’s Republic of China/Los Angeles Sparks

At just 25, Li is in her second WNBA season, and she was a leader of the Chinese team in her second Olympics. While China didn’t make it out of group play, and her Sparks have been eliminated from playoff contention, Li showed she has the skill to be a star in women’s basketball. Coming off the bench, she’s had breakout games for Los Angeles.

THE BEST OF PARIS 2024 | Stream Paris 2024 replays, highlights and original Olympic Channel documentaries with a free Olympic Membership.📺🥇

Satou Sabally, Germany/Dallas Wings

Because she suffered a shoulder injury in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February, Satou Sabally played for Germany – the surprise breakout team in their first Olympics – before her WNBA season started. Just as she did in Paris, Sabally has been tearing through the WNBA. She’s averaged 18.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Though her Dallas Wings have been eliminated from playoff contention – in part because of the injuries Sabally and her teammates have dealt with – she showed the team will be a contender next season.

Julie VanLoo, Belgium/Washington Mystics

For most of her career, Julie Vanloo played in Europe and focused on the growth of the Belgian team. This paid off when the Red Cats took fourth at the Olympics in Paris. Now she’s a 31-year-old rookie who has showed off her three-point skills in the WNBA. She’s in the top 15 in the league for three-pointers made, and she’s helping her Mystics fight for one of the last, coveted playoff spots.

Gabby Williams, France/Seattle Storm

One of the images that basketball fans will remember from the Olympic Games 2024 is Gabby Williams holding up two fingers when she realized the buzzer-beating shot she took in the gold-medal game was a two-pointer and not a three. She still walked away from the Olympics with a silver medal for her French team, and then rejoined the Seattle Storm for the second half of the WNBA season. She’s made an immediate difference in Seattle, boosting the defense as the team heads for the postseason.

A’ja Wilson, USA/Las Vegas Aces

A’ja Wilson is having a year that can only be described as transcendent. After winning Olympic gold with Team USA and being named the MVP of the tournament, Wilson continued her trajectory back in the W. Since Paris, she’s led the league with an average of 27.6 points per game, including two 40+ point games. She missed a game on Sunday (8 September) because of an ankle injury, just the fourth WNBA game she’s missed in her career. But Wilson’s absence from the court isn’t expected to last long, and she will try to lead the Aces to its third championship in a row.