Atlanta Dream point guard Courtney Williams did something questionable for a professional athlete in real life. Then she compounded it by doing something suspect on social media.
In this new world of screen recording and reposts, an adage holds for Williams: Everything on the internet lasts forever.
https://twitter.com/kjhogo/status/1444804642622394370?s=20
Receipts
Over the weekend, Williams, 27, posted a since-deleted YouTube video of a fight in Atlanta earlier this year. And Williams was in the fight.
The fact that Courtney Williams “leaked” this footage herself is just ridiculous
— C (@CShocked_) October 4, 2021
The footage was “Worldstar!” scream-worthy. Williams and her Dream teammate Crystal Bradford threw blows in front of a food truck outside a club in the ATL area.
The inappropriate part came when Williams joked about parts of the video segments, appearing to make light of the incident, although she was concerned about being outnumbered during the fight.
No entanto, dizem que Courtney Williams não foi tããão pacífica assim. O irmão de Chenney Carter veio ao twitter cobrar respostas (e apagou depois) sobre essa possível agressão que o Dream inteiro nega de pé junto – inclusive Renee Montgomery (ex-atleta e hoje uma das donas) pic.twitter.com/c8XaXId9dv
— Beta Basket 🏀 (@beta_basket) October 5, 2021
Williams’ girlfriend, YouTuber Glamazontay, filmed the video with her. However, the video was deleted later from YouTube.
The video timestamp shows that the skirmish occurred in late May after the start of the WNBA season.
The Aftermath
Williams apologized on Monday.
Courtney Williams addresses the video that was shared yesterday. #WNBA https://t.co/ofHDtJvK7j
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) October 4, 2021
“I want to sincerely apologize for the video posted yesterday,” Williams posted to Twitter on Monday. “I would never want to represent myself or the organization in a negative way. I’m learning everyday so I ask for grace as I’m growing. Again I apologize to all attached, and I will be better moving forward.”
Although apologetic, both the Atlanta Dream and the WNBA made statements denouncing her actions.
wait, Courtney Williams just put the Atlanta Dream fight video out for the world to see?
— Margo Madison did nothing wrong 🐮 🌽 (@_muhkuh) October 4, 2021
“The behavior in the video is unacceptable and does not align with our values as an organization,” the Dream said in a statement Monday. “We are taking this matter very seriously and working with the league to gather more information and determine next steps.”
The league echoed the sentiments.
The WNBA said in a statement, “We just became aware of the video and are in the process of gathering more information.”
Redeemable
The No. 8 pick in the 2016 draft, Williams is in her sixth season in the WNBA. In 2019, she helped lead Connecticut to the WNBA Finals. However, she was traded to Atlanta before the start of the 2020 season.
Williams led the Dream in scoring at 16.5 points per game. As a member of the Atlanta Dream, she had 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 2021, and Atlanta went 8-24.
The real issue is that Chennedy was suspended for a fight with Courtney and portrayed to be the aggressor when we see that this is what Courtney Williams does and had a reputation for? pic.twitter.com/HMBkNxGoSr
— BougieBanTon79 (@DarellSaul) October 4, 2021
Williams will become an unrestricted free agent in January.
Back in February, the WNBA and the NBA board of governors unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Dream to Larry Gottesdiener. He is the chairman of the real estate firm Northland.
Dream Controversies
Kelly Loeffler, the former U.S. senator who lost her seat in the Georgia runoff elections in January, was the previous team owner. Loeffler made headlines in July 2020 during the protest movement.
— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) July 10, 2020
She opposed the team’s outward support of social justice following the high-profile deaths of Black people at the hands of police.
Subsequently, the Dream wore jerseys supporting the Black Lives Matter movement highlighting the death of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, last March. Loeffler wrote to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in opposition to the team’s support of the protest movement. Loeffler proposed that players wear American flags on their jerseys instead.
Courtney Williams was a player on the Dream during that time.