Williams and Sopron relying on special recipe to fuel Final Four dreams

SOPRON (Hungary) - A tour de force and one of the most dynamic and productive players in EuroLeague Women, Gabby Williams has revealed the ingredients driving Sopron Basket towards a maiden title.

The recipe for Final Four success in Istanbul will be based on a fusion of many positive elements: veteran know-how, relentless defense, a hatred of losing, several in-form players, an astute coach, a strong sense of family and a desire to make amends for losing in last year's Semi-Finals.

REVVED UP FOR SOME FINAL FOUR REVENGE

 
"There is a feeling of deja vu having Avenida again," said Williams.

"I am someone who likes revenge. I like redemption. It makes me even more excited. The feeling that everyone has is that without Ekat, it feels like the title is anyone's now.

"As far as our ride to the Final Four is concerned, I guess you can call it up and down, but it's the highest level and it was never going to be easy. I don't think any team has had only ups all season long. I think this speaks to the competition level.

"We were in a really difficult group and we had to show some guts. We won when we needed to. We put ourselves in a really good position to make it to the Final Four and while Istanbul has not been great for us this year (after losses to Fenerbahce and Galatasaray) I am trying not to think about that."

VETERAN LEADERSHIP AND DEFENSE TOP OF THE LIST

Perhaps the most powerful component of what Sopron offers is their vast experience via the likes of Jelena Brooks, Briann January, Nevena Jovanovic, Bernadett Hatar and Zsofia Fegyverneky - as well as some ultra competitive practices that are helping everyone keep their edge.

"Our veteran leadership and defense are the most important things when it comes to winning a championship as they are things that can sometimes outweigh talent," insisted Williams.

"I feel like we have such a huge advantage as we have so many players on the team who know how to win. We have players who have done it for so long and importantly, they have done it with Sopron. Plus, we have someone like Briann January who can guard anyone in the league one through three and you have players getting better like Bernadett Hatar.

"Our practices are also super competitive. It makes me happy when I see people getting angry at practice. It is the kind of energy I love to see. Of course everyone likes to win and wants to win. But it's even more fun when you have people around who really hate to lose. Briann and Jelena are top of that list."

THOSE FAMILY VIBES

Importantly, the fierce nature of practices are framed firmly within the context of a family environment - something fostered for many years by the highly respected General Manager, Zoltan Torok. And, it's something that Williams is incredibly grateful for and in an uncertain world, something athletes are appreciating more and more.

She explained: "Sopron gives off those strong family vibes because many of the players have been here for so long. That's usually a sign of a good club if people don't want to leave. I stayed for a second year for that reason.

"I also didn't have problems that I had with previous clubs. I feel safe and taken care of and I think it is why a lot of people do stay."

BELIEF IN GASPAR 

Sopron have punched impressively hard in these past years and are now looking forward to a fourth consecutive Final Four appearances. Even a change of head coach from Roberto Iniguez to the relatively inexperienced David Gaspar has not interrupted their progress, which in the opinion of Williams is a big tick in the box for the current playcaller.

"I never played for Roberto Iniguez so can't speak personally, but his career accomplishments speak for themselves and I can imagine that it could be intimidating for any coach to have to fill his shoes," mused the winger.

"I think Coach Gaspar's achievements for the two years that I have been here speak for itself. He understands us as all as players and understands what it takes to get a team to the Final Four and that is clearly shown by what we have done these past two years."

UNSTOPPABLE HATAR HAVING A CAREER SEASON

But can Gaspar match the high tide mark set by his predecessor by taking Sopron to another Final, or maybe even go one better and land a glorious first ever title?

One factor that could be central to that alluring possibility is that towering center Bernadett Hatar is having the season of her career and that is something that makes Williams smile - a lot.

"Betty has really, really improved her game" she enthused.

"A part of that was going to the WNBA with Indiana and refining her game. She also came back with more confidence and that has helped.

"When I first entered the team last year we didn't get to play that long together because of injuries and illness. This year I feel it has been so easy having her on court.

"I always tell her she can be like a cheat code in a video game. She is so tall and it's so easy to get her the ball. A pick and roll with her is automatic but it is the other things like the IQ she has for the game, her mid-range jump shot. It's so hard to stop her," added Williams.

RISING STAR VARGA IMPRESSES

While a lot of the emphasis with Sopron is around their veteran expertise, there is also a shining light at the other end of the spectrum in the shape of rising star Aliz Varga.

Indeed her evolution has been recognized as a contender for the EuroLeague Women Young Player of the Year and Williams took time to pay tribute to her progress during the campaign.

She said: "There's a lot of really good younger players running for the award this year. Aliz was huge for us at the start of the season when Jelena (Brooks) was out. She had no choice but to step up try to fill those shoes.

"I don't even see her as a young player any more. She is someone I trust to take shots in any game. I tell her all the time to have the confidence as we all have confidence in her. It's been really cool watching her have the chance to shine."

EUROLEAGUE WOMEN HELPS WILLIAMS GROW

As for Williams herself, she remains the centerpiece for Sopron, having been crowned the EuroLeague Women Defensive Player of the Year last season. This year, she once again earned All-EuroLeague Women honors securing a place on the Second Team.

As expected, Williams is again leading Sopron in steals and continuing to be a defensive powerhouse - as well as delivering 13.4 points and 3.7 assists per game down the other end of the floor. She is also continuing to grow and EuroLeague Women is playing a huge part in that.

"I now know the kind of player that I should be and the kind of player that I want to be," confessed Williams.

"In Sopron I have been able to focus on being a true wing player. At previous teams I would play the 4, then the 3, then point guard, then the two. I am learning from the best players in the world. I am trying to soak in all that knowledge.

"This league forces me to evolve my game because the competition is so high. I think that it is something that I didn't truly realize before I stepped into it. I did not know how much it was going to push me mentally and physically.

"I watched it while in college and I knew I wanted to play in it - but I never knew how much it would force me to grow. Of course, I never thought it would be easy, but I never dreamed my game could improve like this. That speaks to the kind of level EuroLeague Women is," she concluded.

Sopron and Williams will go up against Perfumerias Avenida in the Semi-Finals in Istanbul on Friday, April 8.

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