Natalie Williams

Natalie Jean Williams, born on November 30, 1970, is an American basketball executive and a former player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She had a successful career and was recognized for her achievements by being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.

In addition to her basketball skills, Williams was also a talented volleyball player at UCLA. Her leadership and experience in the sport continued to grow when she served as the General Manager of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces from 2022 to 2024.

Early years

Natalie Williams is the daughter of Nate Williams, a former basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City-Omaha Kings, New Orleans Jazz and the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association during his career.

She was born in Southern California but went to high school at Taylorsville High School in Utah. Natalie has two half brothers and one half sister. Her brothers played basketball, while her sister focused on tennis.

College years

Natalie Williams went to the University of California Los Angeles, or UCLA, and finished her studies there in 1994. She played both basketball and volleyball for four years and was the first woman to get All-America honors in both sports in the same year. She helped UCLA win NCAA volleyball championships in 1990 and 1991. She also received the Honda-Broderick Award, now called the Honda Sports Award, as the best female college volleyball player in the country in both 1992 and 1993.

UCLA statistics

Source

ABL career

Natalie Williams played three seasons for the Portland Power in the American Basketball League (ABL). She was traded to the Long Beach Stingrays in April 1998, but when that team closed, she returned to the Power. She was chosen as one of the best players in the league twice and was the ABL's Most Valuable Player in 1998. She was also the league's top rebounder in her first season, averaging 12.5 rebounds per game. On January 9, 1998, she set a league record by grabbing 22 rebounds in one game.

WNBA career

Natalie Williams was picked by her hometown team, the Utah Starzz, in the first round of the 1999 WNBA draft. She played for them from 1999 to 2002. In 2003, she was traded to the Indiana Fever.

Before the 2005 season, Williams decided to retire. She wanted to focus on raising her adopted twins, coaching a girls' basketball team at a high school in Salt Lake City, Utah, and starting a new job in the real estate business. Fans remember her as one of the best players in the early days of the WNBA.

USA Basketball

Natalie Williams was invited to play for the Jones Cup team in 1996, helping the team win a gold medal with a perfect 9–0 record. She averaged 9.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, leading the team in rebounds.

In 1998, Williams joined the USA national team. They traveled to Berlin, Germany for the FIBA World Championships, winning the gold medal after a tough final against Russia. Williams averaged 12.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, leading the team in rebounds. She also won an Olympic Gold Medal with the U.S. women's basketball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In 2002, she helped the team win all nine games at the World Championships in Zhangjiagang, Changzhou, and Nanjing, China, averaging 5.9 points per game.

Outside basketball

In 2002, Natalie opened a restaurant named Natalie's in Salt Lake City, Utah. She helped carry the Olympic Torch in the same area before the 2002 Winter Olympics. She was also chosen to join the United States team for the 2002 World Championship Games.

Natalie looks up to Cheryl Miller as her basketball role model.

Career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs