Five Things to Know About Kiana Williams

Ahead of the 2021 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, we take a closer look at some of this year’s top prospects.

Kiana Williams | Guard | 5-Foot-8 | Stanford

1. Went Out As A Champion

On Sunday, April 4, Kiana Williams suited up for the Stanford Cardinals for the final time. And she won the final game of her college career, helping the Cardinals win their first NCAA championship since 1992 as Stanford edged out Arizona 54-53.

Over the course of the NCAA Tournament, Williams averaged 12.7 points, 3.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 35.2 minutes per game. She averaged 2.8 3-pointers made and shot 43.6% from beyond the arc, and did not sit a single minute of the final three games of the tournament.

2. And Won The Title In Her Hometown

When it comes to storybook endings, it doesn’t get much better than winning the biggest game of your career in your hometown. But that is exactly what Williams did as the 2021 Final Four took place in Williams’ hometown of San Antonio.

After winning the title in front of friends and family, and cutting down the nets at the Alamodome, Williams posted the following message on Twitter as she represented for her city.

She even made sure to leave something behind for the kids in San Antonio looking to chase their own dreams.

Ten days later, she received this honor from the city of San Antonio, just hours before her name will be called at the 2021 WNBA Draft.

3. The Numbers

Senior Season Stats (2020-21): 33 GP, 32.3 MPG, 14.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.33 SPG, 41.0 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 89.5 FT%

Stanford Career Stats (4 Seasons): 137 GP, 31.6 MPG, 13.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.11 SPG, 41.6 FG%, 37.0 3P%, 83.3 FT%

Williams finished her senior season leading the Cardinal in points (14.0), assists (3.1), 3-pointers made (82) and minutes played (32.3). She finished her Stanford career ranked first in program history in 3-pointers made (311), tied for second in free throw percentage (83.3%), ninth in assists (464) and 10th in points (1,834).

She also never missed a game after stepping on campus in 2017-18. She appearing in all 137 games of her college career, including 128 consecutive starts after joining the starting five during her freshman season.

Another number that Williams will add to on Thursday is the number of players drafted out of Stanford, which currently stands at 26 (including 12 first-round selections). That ranks third all-time behind only Connecticut and Tennessee as the college programs that have produced the most WNBA draftees.

Top 10: Schools With Most WNBA Draft Picks

  • Connecticut: 40
  • Tennessee: 39
  • Stanford: 26
  • Duke: 25
  • Georgia: 23
  • North Carolina: 20
  • Rutgers: 20
  • Baylor: 19
  • Maryland: 19
  • Notre Dame: 19

4. Synergy Scouting Report

Williams’ top two play types in half court sets came as the ball handler in pick-and-roll (143 possessions) and as a spot-up shooter (108) possessions. In pick-and-roll, she scored 0.888 points per possession and shot 44.1% from the field (with an effective field goal percentage of 50%, accounting for her 15 3-pointers made). As a spot-up shooter, Williams scored 0.954 points per possession and shot 34.0% from the field, including 28-83 from 3-point range.

She was at her most effective in transition, as she scored 107 points in 96 possessions (1.115 per possession) as she shot 47.4% from the field and posted an effective field goal percentage of 57.9%. She also drew shooting fouls on 10.4% of her transition plays, as she added another 19 points on 20 free throw attempts.


Shot Chart from Synergy Sports

5. What They’re Saying

Tara VanDerveer (Stanford Head Coach): I am thrilled for Kiana as she is set to embark on this next chapter of her life. I have loved coaching her over the past four years and am very proud of both the player and person that she has become.

Kiana’s leadership was vital to the team’s success this season, helping to navigate us through the most challenging year of our lifetimes. I know that myself, the rest the program, and our fans across the world are going to be cheering on Kiana’s successes in the future, and we know her experience on The Farm has her prepared for anything that life could throw at her.