Natalie Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Natalie Williams

Personal information
Born	November 30, 1970 (1970-11-30) (age 54) Long Beach, California, U.S.
High school	Taylorsville (Taylorsville, Utah)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College	UCLA (1990–1994)
NBA Draft	1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Utah Starzz
Pro career	1996–2005
Career history
1996–1998	Portland Power
1999–2002	Utah Starzz
2003–2005	Indiana Fever
Career highlights and awards
4× WNBA All-Star (1999–2001, 2003) 3× All-WNBA First Team (1999–2001) WNBA rebounding champion (2000 2× All-ABL First Team (1997, 1998) USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year (1999) ABL MVP (1998) Kodak All-American (1994) 2x All-American – USBWA (1993, 1994) Pac-10 Player of the Year (1994) 3× First-team All-Pac-10 (1992–1994)
Career WNBA statistics
Points	2,894 (13.1 ppg)
Rebounds	1,832 (8.3 rpg)
Assists	308 (1.4 apg)
Medals Women's basketball Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Team competition World Cup Gold 1998 Germany Team competition Gold 2002 China Team competition Jones Cup Gold 1996 Team competition

Natalie Jean Williams (born November 30, 1970) is a famous American basketball player and executive. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and was known for her amazing skills. In 2016, she was honored by being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Before she was a basketball star, Williams was also a fantastic volleyball player at the UCLA. From 2022 to 2024, she worked as the General Manager for the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.

A Star in the Making

Natalie Williams grew up around basketball. Her father, Nate Williams, was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for teams like the Cincinnati Royals and the Golden State Warriors.

Even though she was born in California, Williams went to Taylorsville High School in Utah. She has two half-brothers who also played basketball and a half-sister who played tennis.

An Amazing College Career

Williams went to the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and was a star athlete in two different sports: basketball and volleyball. This is very rare for a college athlete.

She is the first woman in history to be named an All-America athlete in both basketball and volleyball in the same year. She was so good at volleyball that she led her team to win the national championship in 1990 and 1991. She also won the Honda-Broderick Award twice, which is given to the best female college volleyball player in the country.

UCLA Basketball Statistics

This table shows how well Natalie Williams played each year in college. "PPG" means points per game, and "RPG" means rebounds per game.

Professional Basketball Journey

Playing in the ABL

Before the WNBA became popular, Williams played for the Portland Power in the American Basketball League (ABL). She was one of the best players in the league.

She was named to the All-ABL First Team twice and was the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1998. She was also the best rebounder in the league, averaging 12.5 rebounds per game in her first season. A rebound is when a player grabs the ball after a missed shot.

Starring in the WNBA

When the ABL ended, Williams joined the WNBA. She was picked third overall in the 1999 WNBA draft by her hometown team, the Utah Starzz. She played for the Starzz from 1999 to 2002.

In 2003, she was traded to the Indiana Fever. She played with the Fever until she retired in 2005. Williams decided to retire to spend more time with her family and start a new career. Fans remember her as one of the best rebounding power forwards in the early days of the WNBA.

Playing for Team USA

Williams had the honor of playing for the United States national basketball team. She helped Team USA win many gold medals in international competitions.

• 1996 Jones Cup: She helped the team win a gold medal with a perfect 9-0 record.
• 1998 World Championships: In Germany, she was a key player, helping the team win the gold medal against Russia. She was the team's top rebounder.
• 2000 Olympic Games: Williams achieved a huge dream by winning an Olympic Gold Medal with the U.S. team in Sydney, Australia.
• 2002 World Championships: She won another gold medal with Team USA in China, again beating Russia in the final game.

Before the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, she was chosen to carry the Olympic Torch. Her basketball role model is another famous player, Cheryl Miller.

Career Statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: Natalie Williams para niños