Agent confirms Dream will not re-sign Courtney Williams after she posted video of fight at Atlanta food truck
Atlanta Dream guard Courtney Williams apologized on social media on Monday for a video she posted to her YouTube channel that made light of a fight she was involved in earlier this year. The decision to post it seems to have cost her and a teammate their jobs, her agent confirmed on an Instagram Live chat late Tuesday.
Marcus Crenshaw of The Fam Sports Agency explained the situation and that the Dream have been aware of the video while speaking with Khristina Williams of Girls Talk Sports TV.
Williams posts video, apologies after uproar
Williams, teammate Crystal Bradford, former teammate Kalani Brown and others were seen in a brawl in a parking lot near a food truck in the Atlanta area. It’s not clear specifically when the video took place, though the fight happened in May after the WNBA season had already started.
In her video, which she later deleted from YouTube, Williams was seen making light of the fight. She apologized on Monday morning.
I want to sincerely apologize for the video posted yesterday. 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.
— Courtney Williams (@CourtMWilliams) October 4, 2021
“I want to sincerely apologize for the video posted yesterday,” Williams tweeted. “I would never want to represent myself or the organization in a negative way. I’m learning every day so I ask for grace as I’m growing. Again, I apologize to all attached and I will be better moving forward.”
It’s unclear in the video specifically what led up to the fight. Williams said in her since-deleted YouTube video that law enforcement was not involved. It does not seem that anyone in the video was seriously injured.
Dream wash hands of Williams, Bradford
Nobody, at least for the most part, even knew about the fight until Williams posted the video herself. She and her girlfriend, YouTube personality Glamazontay, put up the nearly 40-minute video on Sunday.
That decision seems to have cost Williams a job, as the Dream have reportedly informed both her and Bradford that they will not be re-signed under any circumstances. Crenshaw, who represents both Williams and Bradford, confirmed to Girls Talk Sports TV that the Dream organization told him they would not re-sign the free agents.
"I talked to them and they told me that they didn’t want to bring both back," Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw alleged that the organization is trying to "act like they have the morals and making them (Williams and Bradford) some sort of scapegoats," he said.
Crenshaw said it happened about five months ago and Williams was attacked. Bradford stood up for her, he said. Williams released the video to make light of it and "didn't think anything of it" because the Dream didn't do anything about the video when the organization found out earlier in the season, he said.
"In Courtney's mind she’s thinking it’s something that we got away from," he said on Instagram Live. "They didn’t do anything, it was nothing really, it was swept under the rug, so I can speak about it now."
He reiterated that Williams takes full accountability and understands she shouldn't have put the video up. He said he does feel bad for Bradford, who got caught up in it all. Bradford took to Twitter, but deleted them later.
Crystal’s perspective is interesting. Hope she’s doing okay 💙 pic.twitter.com/nFK394grC6
— project patti labelle (@theeluvvbelow) October 5, 2021
WNBA investigates Dream player's video
Meanwhile, the WNBA said in a short statement, via ESPN: “We just became aware of the video and are in the process of gathering more information.”
The Dream had said it was investigating, too, before opting to move on from the players:
"The behavior in the video is unacceptable and does not align with our values as an organization," the Dream said, via ESPN. "We are taking this matter very seriously and working with the league to gather more information and determine next steps."
Williams averaged a career-high 16.5 points and 6.8 rebounds this season with the Dream, and earned her first All-Star nod. The 27-year-old will become a free agent in January.
Bradford averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this season, though she was sidelined in August due to a foot injury. Bradford, who is in her second season in the league, will also become a free agent. Brown appeared in one game for the Dream this season, her third in the league, though she was waived in May.