Former USF Star Williams Ready to Shine in WNBA Finals
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, SEPT. 27, 2019 – Former USF women's basketball superstar
Courtney Williams is grateful for every moment as she gets ready to play for it all at the pro level.
Starting at guard, Williams will make her first WNBA Finals appearance this weekend as a valuable member of the Connecticut Sun. The best-of-five series against the Mystics begins Sunday at 3 p.m. in Washington, D.C. (TV: ESPN). View the full schedule
HERE.
"It's what we've been working for all season long," Williams said earlier this week. "For it all to come to the forefront, it's just an amazing feeling."
Amazing is a good way to describe how Williams has been playing in her fourth WNBA season. The 5-foot-8 playmaker set new career highs with averages of 13.2 points and 3.8 assists in addition to her 5.6 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Williams has taken her game to another level in the playoffs this year with a team-high 19.0 points per game along with 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per outing. Williams said analysts didn't expect the Sun to make the WNBA Finals and that's motivated the team, kind of like the underdog role she embraced with the Bulls from 2012-16.
"It's always that doubt and I feel like that gives us the extra chip. That's how I've always played," she said. "For me, I want to prove a point. When you get on that big stage, it's no better stage to prove that point."
Williams definitely showed she could shine on her greatest platform yet as a pro. The last time she took the court, Williams registered 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds to help Connecticut complete a three-game sweep of the Sparks in the semifinals. The Sun sealed the deal in Los Angeles and Williams was a postgame rock star alongside her super supportive father, Don.
"It's great having him there and feeding off his energy on the sideline," Williams said. "His presence of being there, it definitely amps me up and helps me play at a different level."
WNBA Star Status Sure Feels Good
Deemed an "incredible hype woman" by the New England Sports Network, Williams is living the dream as a popular player who pumps up teammates and spreads the word about the WNBA with an infectious smile.
Whether she's in a commercial, a postgame interview (especially with dad), or celebrating after one of her numerous ESPN-worthy game highlights, Williams sure looks like she's having a blast.
"This is where I always wanted to be. This is what I always wanted to do," she said. "To be able to do that, I'm just soaking it all up and enjoying every moment of it."
A superstar ego isn't included, however. Just like her time with USF (2012-16), Williams stays humble at heart and has no problem showing gratitude.
One shining example was after the Sun's sweep of L.A. in the semifinals. During the celebration, Williams made sure to greet a high school team full of supporters eager to meet her.
"They were yelling my name and telling me to come over there," Williams said. "Of course, just me being the type of person I am, I had to go over there and show them love because I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't do that. I love doing that."
"Any fan that's gonna come up to me and want to talk to me, I'm gonna hold a conversation, or sign an autograph," Williams added. "I'm gonna do all of that because ultimately I know they don't have to show me that type of love. They don't have to be watching us play basketball. They don't have to be fans of this league, especially fans of mine. Any and every moment I can get to show love back, I'm gonna definitely do that."
Appreciation also is extended to USF, where Williams gained the attention of the league that made her basketball dreams come true. Before Williams was selected eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, she earned WBCA All-America honors after leading USF to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third time in program history.
Williams set a USF's NCAA tournament record in 2016 with 31 points in the opening round and her name is still all over the program's history book. An all-conference first team selection three times, Williams ranks second on USF's all-time career chart in points (2,304), third in rebounds (931), seventh in blocks (93) and ninth in assists (318).
Williams also scored the most points in single-season school history with 763 as a senior in 2015-16. Three-and-a-half years after her final game at USF, Williams still bleeds Green and Gold.
"I wouldn't be where I'm at if it wasn't for South Florida," she said. "I'm always going to show love to South Florida in any way that I can. They helped me in so many aspects of my life and ultimately helped pave the way for me to get in this position that I'm in right now."
About USF Women's Basketball
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USF notched its eighth consecutive 19-win season and eighth straight postseason appearance in 2018-19. The Bulls celebrated two all-conference honorees in Enna Pehadzic and Sydni Harvey.
USF has made 15 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 19 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 350 games.
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