WNBA Overseas Update: Pair of Seattle Teammates Shining, Williams Honored


For many players, basketball season doesn’t end once the final buzzer sounds in the WNBA. Here are some of the top recent performers during international play (click here to see the full list of WNBA players overseas).

Breanna Stewart – Seattle Storm

A WNBA All-Star in 2017, Stewart closed out her season in China on a very strong note. Playing with Shanghai in the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association, Stewart ended the year with averages of 28.9 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. Shanghai finished 18-8 on the season, winning their final three games against tough competition. Over those final three games, Stewart averaged 30.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. In the marquee matchup against Xinjiang and fellow WNBA star Candace Parker on January 13, Stewart filled the stat sheet with 39 points and 12 rebounds.

Courtney Williams – Connecticut Sun

Williams came off her best WNBA season since turning pro, and carried the momentum into her season “Down Under” with Perth of the Women’s National Basketball League in Australia. Williams led her team in points (21.3 per game) and rebounds (6.9 per game) while ranking second in assists (3.7 per game). Perth finished the regular season with a league-best 15-6 record, but lost their mojo in the playoffs. Their season ended after losing both semifinal contests and the consolation game. Nonetheless, Williams amounted 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in the two final contests, finishing her season just as strong as she started. Her efforts over the course of the season earned her Team MVP, an honor that she will cherish, but fuel her fire as she begins to get ready for the upcoming WNBA campaign.

Crystal Langhorne – Seattle Storm

A seasoned veteran, Langhorne has consistently been a productive player in the WNBA. Fresh off her 10th season in the league, when she compiled averages of 12.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, she took that energy to Hungary to suit up with Sopron Basket in the A Division League. With an 8-4 record and two games remaining on the schedule, Langhorne leads the team in points (12.9 per game) and is second on the team in rebounds (6.7 per game) in EuroLeague action. In Sopron Basket’s most recent game, Langhorne finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and two steals en route to a 66-61 victory.

Bria Hartley – New York Liberty

The fourth-year guard from UConn just completed her first season with the New York Liberty after spending the first three with Washington. In the WNBA offseason, she has played overseas for Mersin Buyuksehir Belediyesi in the Turkish Women’s Basketball League. In what has been a roller coaster ride of a season for the team, Hartley has stayed a consistent on the offensive end. She leads the team in points (19.8 per game) and steals (1.8 per game), and is second on the team in assists (3.9 per game). In the team’s most recent game, she filled up the stat sheet with 27 points and four assists in an 87-77 win. This is the most scoring that Hartley has done in her professional career, so it will be interesting to see if she is able to bring this momentum back to the WNBA.

Allie Quigley – Chicago Sky

Quigley is also in Turkey playing for Galatasaray. She’s coming off her best year in the WNBA, when she scored 16.4 points per game while shooting 50% from the floor and starting each of the 31 games she played. Over in Turkey, she has maintained her solid play, leading her team in scoring (20.6 points per game) while shooting 59% from the floor. In Galatasaray’s most recent game, Quigley scored 22 points and dished out four assists. Quigley is one of many WNBA veterans proving that age can be just a number, and will look to build off her successful play come the start of her 10th WNBA season.