Natalie Williams

Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6-2/210
Born: 11/30/70
College: UCLA '94

WNBA CAREER AVERAGES
13.1 ppg | 8.3 rpg | 1.4 apg



Complete WNBA Statistics


CAREER AVERAGES
YEAR TEAM G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
 1999  UTA   2826 34.1 .519 .000 .754 3.9 5.3 9.2 0.9 1.36 0.79 2.43 3.86 18.0
 2000  UTA   2929 35.8 .490 .600 .798 4.6 7.0 11.6 1.8 1.21 0.62 2.72 4.28 18.7
 2001  UTA   3131 34.3 .490 .000 .729 3.6 6.4 9.9 1.8 1.32 0.32 2.26 4.13 14.2
 2002  UTA   3131 32.5 .435 .417 .742 3.4 4.8 8.2 1.2 1.23 0.52 2.32 3.94 11.3
 2003  IND   3434 31.0 .485 .000 .709 3.2 4.3 7.5 1.4 1.26 0.62 2.06 4.06 13.4
 2004  IND   3434 28.1 .454 .000 .697 2.7 4.2 6.9 1.8 1.18 0.68 1.91 3.59 10.3
 2005  IND   3434 23.6 .415 .000 .672 2.2 3.3 5.5 0.9 1.03 0.35 1.65 3.09 7.4
 Career     221219 31.1 .474 .286 .741 3.3 5.0 8.3 1.4 1.22 0.55 2.17 3.83 13.1
 Playoff     1111 34.3 .485 .200 .740 3.7 4.6 8.4 1.2 1.18 0.91 1.27 3.64 12.5
 All-Star     20 19.0 .500 .000 .750 4.0 5.0 9.0 1.5 1.00 0.00 0.50 1.50 9.5

CAREER TOTALS
YEAR TEAM G GS MIN FGM-A 3P FTM-A OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
 1999  UTA 2826 954 180-347 0-2 144-191 109 148 257 25 38 22 68 108 504
 2000  UTA 2929 1,039 179-365 3-5 182-228 132 204 336 51 35 18 79 124 543
 2001  UTA 3131 1,064 171-349 0-4 97-133 111 197 308 55 41 10 70 128 439
 2002  UTA 3131 1,008 124-285 5-12 98-132 105 150 255 38 38 16 72 122 351
 2003  IND 3434 1,054 176-363 0-1 105-148 109 146 255 46 43 21 70 138 457
 2004  IND 3434 956 133-293 0-4 83-119 93 142 235 62 40 23 65 122 349
 2005  IND 3434 804 103-248 0-0 45-67 74 112 186 31 35 12 56 105 251
 Career   221219 6,879 1066-2250 8-28 754-1018 733 1,099 1,832 308 270 122 480 847 2,894
 Playoff   1111 377 50-103 1-5 37-50 41 51 92 13 13 10 14 40 138
 All-Star   20 38 5-10 0-0 9-12 8 10 18 3 2 0 1 3 19

WNBA Notes


Transactions: Acquired from San Antonio, along with Coretta Brown, in exchange for Sylvia Crawley and Gwen Jackson, 5/1/03...Selected by the Utah Starzz in the first round (third pick overall) of the 1999 WNBA Draft on 5/4/99.

Career Highlights: Leading rebounder in U.S. women's professional basketball history. Among leading scorers in U.S. women's professional basketball history.
Fourth-leading rebounder in WNBA history. Ranked eighth in the WNBA in rebounding in 2003. Three-time All-WNBA First Team selection (1999, 2000, 2001)
Three-time All-Star selection (1999, 2000, 2001). Played for the WNBA All-Star Team in the Game at Radio City against the U.S. Olympics Team (2004). Led the WNBA in rebounding in 2000 with 11.6 rpg. Member of gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team in Sydney, Australia in 2000. USA Basketball's Female Athlete of the Year in 1999. Winner of America Online NBA All-Star 2ball contest (with Jeff Hornacek) at All-Star 2000 in Oakland.

2003: Williams was the Fever's second-leading scorer and rebounder while starting all 34 games…she ranked eighth in the WNBA with 7.5 rpg and 14th with 13.4 ppg…she shot 48.5 percent from the floor and 70.9 percent at the foul stripe…Williams led the WNBA with 109 offensive rebounds, and was the only player with more than 100…she was selected to the WNBA All-Star Game where she led all players with 10 rebounds…Williams was a double-digit scorer in 30 of 34 games, including 15 straight to end the season…nine double-doubles included a Fever record 17 rebounds vs. Charlotte, 8/16…she scored a season-high 24 points to go with 11 rebounds at Sacramento, 6/14…she was one rebound shy of posting six consecutive double-double games in a 10-day span between 6/14 and 6/24…she posted a career-high five blocks vs. Charlotte, 6/17…she matched a career-high with four steals in the Fever's season finale vs. Connecticut, 8/25

2002 Playoffs:
She helped lead the Starzz to the Western Conference Finals by averaging 14.0 ppg and 9.2 rpg...she set or tied playoff career-highs in every department, including 25 points at Houston, 8/20, and 12 rebounds vs. the Comets, 8/16...in that game at Houston, she shot 11-16 from the floor...in the five playoff games, she averaged 4.2 offensive rebounds per game, tops in the WNBA’s postseason...her 11 rebounds in Game 2 vs. Houston, 8/18, featured a playoff career-high six offensive boards...2001: In her WNBA playoff debut, she had 17 points and 12 rebounds against the Monarchs, 8/17...she averaged 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in two games vs. Sacramento

2002: She started 31 games for Utah in 2002 while averaging 11.3 points and 8.2 rebounds...she was second in the WNBA in offensive rebounds (3.4), and was fifth with 8.2 rebounds overall...she became the second player (along with Sacramento’s Yolanda Griffith) in league history with 100+ offensive rebounds in a single season with her league-best 105 in 2002...she set a Starzz record with 20 rebounds at Sacramento, 6/22...that was one short of the WNBA record for rebounds in a single game...that effort featured a team record 10 offensive rebounds, also one short of the WNBA record...her 10 offensive rebounds equaled the most by any player in the WNBA in 2002...she blocked 16 shots in 2002, which was second best on the team...she reached the 1,000-rebound plateau with her six boards at Houston, 6/30...she was fourth on the team with an average of 11.3 ppg and shot a career-low 43.5 percent from the floor...she tallied a season-best 22 points twice – at Sacramento, 6/22, and vs. Phoenix, 7/13...she led Utah in rebounding 16 times

2001 Playoffs: Averaged 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 28.5 minutes and shot .500 (8-16) from the field in the two games of the 2001 WNBA playoff series vs. Sacramento.

2001: Led the team in scoring and rebounding averaging 14.2 points (10th in the league) and 9.9 rebounds (2nd in the league) per game…Started 31 games for the team, missing the July 18 game at Indiana due to a left ankle strain…Connected on 49.0% (171-349) from the field (tied for 8th in the league)…Finished the season with 28 games in double figure scoring including four 20+ games and 17 games in double figure rebounding…Concluded the season with 17 double-doubles, 2nd in the league…Recorded the 900th rebound of her career on August 13 against Los Angeles…Notched season-high in points on August 7 in Detroit with 26…Recorded a season-high 14 rebounds 5 times (June 21, June 23, July 2, August 7, August 8)…Named WNBA player of the week for week ending July 28…Selected to play in the 2001 WNBA All-Star Game but did not compete due to injury....Named to the 2001 All WNBA First Team

2000: Finished 4th in the league in scoring for second consecutive season, averaging 18.7 points per game....Led WNBA in rebounds with 11.6 rpg and double doubles with 19...Finished season 3rd in the WNBA in minutes (35.8 mpg) and 11th in field goal percentage (179-365)...Named to 2000 WNBA West All-Star Team... Named WNBA Player of the Week for week ending July 16...Missed three games with lower back strain...Grabbed a career high 19 rebounds on July 26 vs Cleveland...Scored a season high 30 points on June 17 vs. Washington...Earned double digits in scoring 24 times and double digits rebounding 20 times...Dished out a career high 6 assists at Seattle on July 1... Reached the 1,000 career point plateau on August 7 versus Portland...Named to the WNBA 1st team...Nominated for an ESPY for women’s professional basketball player of the year

OTHER PRO/OVERSEAS: 2003-04: Williams signed with UMMC Ekaterinburg of Russia to compete in the 2003 FIBA World Cup, helping her new club team to a third-place finish…Williams led Ekaterinburg with a 13.8-ppg scoring average - tied for sixth in the World Cup tournament along with club teammates Sheryl Swoopes and DeLisha Milton…she was also the club's leading rebounder…Williams also competed with the team briefly during EuroLeague action…she averaged 7.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg with the defending EuroLeague champion before returning to the United States in December. 1997-1999: Played three seasons with the Portland Power of the ABL…Selected to All-ABL First Team in 1997 and 1998…Traded to the Long Beach StringRays in April 1998 but reassigned to Portland in August 1998 after the StringRays folded…Named 1998 MVP of the ABL…Finished the inaugural ABL season as the league’s top rebounder, averaging 12.5 rebounds… Grabbed league record 22 rebounds against Atlanta, January 9, 1999

COLLEGE:
Four-year letter-winner in both basketball and volleyball…First woman to earn All-America honors in both basketball and volleyball in the same year…Named two-time National Player of the Year and four-year All-American in volleyball…Led UCLA to NCAA volleyball titles in 1990 and 1991…Was a basketball All-American as a junior and as a senior and was a finalist both years for the Naismith Award (1993, 1994)…During four seasons averaged a double-double with 20.4 points and 12.8 rebounds…Career rebound average of 12.8 is the highest in Pac-10 women’s basketball history…Named 1994 Kodak All-American and 1993 and 1994 Basketball Times and US Basketball Writers Association All-American first team…Selected as 1994 Pac-10 Player of the Year…Three-time All-Pac-10 First Team (1992-94) and 1991 Pac-10 All-Freshman Team…Named to the Pac-10 All-Decade Team, encompassing all sports…Tore ACL during senior year

Bio



Personal: Opened sports bar and restaurant called Natalie’s in downtown Salt Lake City in February 2002. Carried 2002 Winter Olympic Torch. Named to the 2002 World Championship Team. Adopted twins, Sydney and Turasi, on May 22, 2001. A member of the 2000 United States Olympic Women’s gold-medal winning basketball team in Sydney. Named Utah’s Female Athlete of the Century. Named USA Basketball’s 1999 Female Athlete of the Year . Sports Illustrated named Williams as the second greatest athlete from Utah. Father Nate Williams played in the NBA for eight seasons, with the Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City-Omaha Kings, New Orleans Jazz and the Golden State Warriors. Considers Cheryl Miller her basketball role model. Lists her comeback from her torn ACL as a defining moment in her life because she found she could come back better than she was. Long-jump champion in the state of Utah in high school. Has worn number 24 since the seventh grade.