Who Are Gabby Williams’ Parents? Meet Matthew And Thérèse Williams

Gabby Williams plays for the Golden State Valkyries and wears a French jersey at the Olympics, and both sides of that story begin at home. She was born in Nevada to an American father, Matthew Williams, and a French mother, Thérèse. Matthew was a college basketball player and a tournament organiser, while Thérèse gave her a link to France. Williams lost her father in March 2024, and she still speaks of him with great pride.

Matthew Williams, the father who built her game

Matthew Williams played college basketball at the University of Nevada from 1988 to 1992 and was also a 6-foot-10 high jumper. After his playing days, he ran some of the best-known AAU basketball tournaments in Nevada. He also coached the Jam On It club team, where Gabby played. “If Gabby's not playing, she's working the clock,” he once said of the family business. “She'll take over the business someday.”

His sporting life rubbed off on his daughter. Gabby starred in basketball and track at Edward C. Reed High School in Sparks. She won the state basketball title and the Gatorade Nevada Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year award. At 15, she also competed as a high jumper at the 2012 US Olympic Trials. She then went to UConn, where she won back-to-back national titles in 2015 and 2016.

Matthew died in March 2024. Gabby paid tribute online, writing, “You fought so hard for so long, and you never gave up, not one time.” She added that the family kept him cozy in his Dallas Cowboys blanket until the end.

Thérèse Williams and the French side of the family

Thérèse is French and moved to the United States. Because of her, Gabby holds both American and French citizenship. Her Parisian grandmother taught her French from around the age of six, using books, games and conversation.

That bond led to her international career. Williams won bronze with France at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver at the 2024 Paris Games. She has said the support of her family and fans in France kept her going. Teammate Sue Bird once told her, “You're not even American to me, you're French,” and Williams replied, “I'm just both!”

Gabby grew up in a big, sporty family. Her older sister Kayla plays professionally in Australia, and her younger sister Jayda Noble plays for the University of Washington. “My sister comes with me everywhere,” Gabby has said of Jayda. “She's like my little homie.”