For the first time in almost a decade, a new jersey was raised to the rafters on Thursday at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.

No Duke men’s or women’s player had seen their number retired since Lindsey Harding received the honor in January of 2008. Only fellow WNBA great Alana Beard had preceded Harding on the women’s side, and now Elizabeth Williams joins that elite company.

The Atlanta Dream forward was honored in a ceremony during halftime of Duke’s game against Kentucky on Thursday. Her No. 1 will never be worn again for the Blue Devils.

No one will ever wear #1 again.

Congrats to @E_Williams_1! pic.twitter.com/DrFdwqipVr

— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) December 30, 2016

“It’s incredible,” Williams told WNBA.com. “Alana Beard and Lindsey Harding are amazing people on and off the court. To even be in their company is awesome, really cool. I’m super grateful for the opportunity to play at Duke and to make a difference.”

The first frontcourt player to have her jersey retired at Duke, Williams was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in all four of her collegiate seasons. She capped it off by earning National Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2015, and Williams also became the first four-time AP All-American in ACC history.

Even in a program with such a rich history, Williams ranks among the very best.

“The thing about her that’s unique is Duke has really clear-cut parameters,” longtime Blue Devils coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “This is not a nebulous or random assignment. You have to be a Player of the Year in some form or fashion in order to get your number retired, so it’s an incredibly elite group of people. I think it’s very special in that way because there are clear guidelines in order to get that done.”

1️⃣ is officially retired! @E_Williams_1 @Alanabeard20 @Lindsey_Harding #DukeFamily ??? pic.twitter.com/J0bJ97dcel

— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) December 30, 2016

Williams is playing in Russia this offseason, but the team’s two-week break from action allowed her to spend some time in the states. The 23-year-old had the chance to watch her younger brother play a basketball tournament nearby in North Carolina before heading back to Russia on Friday.

Her trip home and jersey retirement mark the end of an exciting 2016 for Atlanta’s rising star.

Williams was traded to the Dream in February, just one year after Connecticut selected her with the fourth overall pick in the WNBA Draft. After playing about 12 minutes per game for the Sun in 2015 – and her team tying for last in the Eastern Conference – Williams had a breakout season and helped Atlanta reach the second round of the playoffs.

Starting all 34 games, Williams averaged 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds (fifth in the league) and 2.3 blocks (second in the league) this past season. She garnered the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award.

“That was a pretty cool award because, usually when trades happen, you don’t really know what to expect,” Williams said. “I was excited, and talking to [coach Michael Cooper] and Atlanta’s staff, they were excited to have me. They had a lot of faith and trust in me. I continued to work hard throughout the season, and it was just kind of where that hard work and opportunity met.”

The defensive prowess Williams showed at Duke was evident – she finished sixth in the WNBA in plus-minus rating on that end of the court. Williams also led the entire league with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game.

“I think she has incredible, unlimited upside for her career,” McCallie said. “She is so capable and so athletic, I think her professional career can go all through her 20s and into her 30s. There’s no limit to what she can do basketball-wise.”