Courtney Williams

Courtney Williams grew up in Folkston, Georgia, and played for Charlton County High School. Her mother, Michele Williams, had previously played for the same school and held the single-game scoring record with 40 points. Courtney broke that mark as a junior by scoring 42 points, then later raised the record to 44. As a senior, she led Charlton County to the state semifinals and scored 47 points in a quarterfinal game.

Williams joined the University of South Florida in 2012. As a freshman, she appeared in every game, started three times, and averaged 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds. Her role expanded as a sophomore, when she averaged 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. She earned First-Team All-American Athletic Conference honors and All-America honorable mention.

As a junior, Williams became one of the country’s top scorers, averaging 20.3 points per game. She led the AAC in scoring and ranked among the national leaders. As a senior, she averaged 22.4 points and 8.4 rebounds while making 308 field goals, second among all Division I players that season. She finished her college career second on USF’s all-time scoring list with 2,304 points and later had her No. 10 jersey retired by the program.

Williams was selected eighth overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2016 WNBA Draft. After limited early minutes in Phoenix, she was traded to the Connecticut Sun during her rookie season. In Connecticut, she became a regular rotation player and later a starter, averaging 12.3 points in 2017, 12.6 points in 2018, and 13.2 points in 2019.

In 2019, Williams helped the Sun reach the WNBA Finals, where they lost to the Washington Mystics in five games. She averaged 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists during that postseason.

Williams was traded to the Atlanta Dream in 2020. She averaged 14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in the shortened 2020 season, then produced 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 2021, earning her first WNBA All-Star selection.

She returned to the Connecticut Sun in 2022 and started 34 games. In 2023, she signed with the Chicago Sky, where she shifted into more point guard duties and finished among the league leaders in assists. In 2024, she signed with the Minnesota Lynx and became a central guard in the team’s backcourt. She helped Minnesota win the 2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup and reach the WNBA Finals.

Williams continued with Minnesota in 2025 and was selected as a WNBA All-Star for the second time. She has also played outside the WNBA with Perth Lynx in Australia, Elitzur Ramla in Israel, Galatasaray in Turkey, Shaanxi Red Wolves in China, Athletes Unlimited, and Unrivaled.

Courtney Williams represented the United States at the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea. She started all six games as the U.S. team finished 6–0 and won the gold medal. Williams averaged 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while contributing as a scorer and rebounder from the guard position.

In the semifinal against Japan, the United States came back from a 15-point deficit and won in double overtime. Williams recorded 17 points and 10 rebounds and made two late free throws to help secure the win. In the gold-medal game against Canada, she again posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds as the United States won 82–63.

Williams was also part of the U.S. team that won silver at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. She was later selected for the 2017–2020 USA Women’s National Team pool and participated in USA Basketball training camps, including camps in 2017, 2018, and 2022.

Courtney Williams is an active guard for the Minnesota Lynx and Vinyl BC. Her current game is built around midrange shooting, physical guard rebounding, transition play, and improved passing. She has developed from a scoring guard into a player who can also run offense, defend multiple guard spots, and contribute as a postseason creator.

Courtney Williams is from Folkston, Georgia. She is the daughter of Michele and Donald Williams and has a younger sister, Doniece. Her mother played basketball at Charlton County High School, the same school Courtney later attended.

Williams has credited her father with helping shape her competitive confidence and midrange game. Her father has also become visible at her games as an energetic supporter.

Williams is openly lesbian. In 2024, her relationship with real estate broker N’S hya was featured in the WNBA’s Pride is Love series. She also co-hosts the Twitch channel StudBudz with Minnesota Lynx teammate Natisha Hiedeman.

Courtney Williams’ legacy is still developing, but her career is defined by persistence, scoring identity, and adaptability. She entered the WNBA as a scoring guard, became a Finals contributor with Connecticut, an All-Star with Atlanta, and later expanded her role as a lead guard with Chicago and Minnesota.

Her midrange shot has become one of her clearest basketball signatures. With Minnesota, she added another stage to her career by becoming part of a Finals team and taking on more playmaking responsibility.

At South Florida, Williams remains one of the most important players in program history. Her scoring records, jersey retirement, and Hall of Fame induction connect her college career to the growth of USF women’s basketball.

Williams was a McDonald’s All-American in 2012. At South Florida, she was a three-time First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection, three-time AAC All-Tournament Team selection, 2016 AAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 2016 WBCA Coaches’ All-American, and Associated Press All-America honorable mention in 2015 and 2016. She was inducted into the USF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and her No. 10 jersey was retired by the program.

In the WNBA, Williams was selected eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She is a two-time WNBA All-Star, earning selections in 2021 and 2025. She won the 2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup with the Minnesota Lynx.

Internationally, Williams won gold with the United States at the 2015 World University Games and silver at the 2015 Pan American Games.

Courtney Monae Williams is an American professional basketball player born on May 11, 1994, in Folkston, Georgia. A 5-foot-8 guard, she plays for the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA and Vinyl BC in Unrivaled. Williams is known for midrange scoring, rebounding from the guard position, on-ball confidence, and playmaking growth later in her career.

Williams played high school basketball at Charlton County High School, where she followed her mother’s path in the same program and set school scoring records. She then played four seasons at the University of South Florida from 2012 to 2016. At USF, she became one of the program’s leading players, finishing with 2,304 career points and earning multiple All-American Athletic Conference and All-America honors.

The Phoenix Mercury selected Williams eighth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She was traded to the Connecticut Sun during her rookie season and developed into a starter. She helped Connecticut reach the 2019 WNBA Finals, later played for the Atlanta Dream, returned to Connecticut, spent a season with the Chicago Sky, and joined the Minnesota Lynx in 2024. With Minnesota, she became a key guard in the team’s return to the WNBA Finals and won the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup.

Internationally, Williams represented the United States at the 2015 World University Games, winning gold with a 6–0 record. She also earned a Pan American Games silver medal in 2015.