In today’s episode I interview WNBA Atlanta Dream player Elizabeth Williams on playing a game with no fans (b/c of COVID-19), the value of education, and her love of jeopardy.
Elizabeth’s parents were born and raised in Nigeria. After getting married, they moved to England so her dad could enroll in pre-med classes. While there, Elizabeth was born, and shortly after, they moved to the United States.
Elizabeth started playing basketball because a family friend mentioned that Elizabeth’s tall stature could make the sport a good fit for her. So, Elizabeth joined a team and ended up loving it. Eventually, she found a trainer who turned into a mentor, and got her to believe that she could be really good at this basketball thing.
Throughout her childhood, her parents, both in the medical field, instilled the importance of education.
Elizabeth decided to go to Duke to challenge herself both off and on the court. While at Duke, she studied pre-med with the intention to become a surgeon. On the court, Elizabeth earned National Freshman of the Year and NCAA Defensive Player of the Year honors She set school records for blocking shots, and was the first duke player to be named AP all American her first two years.
After college, Elizabeth continued her career into the WNBA. She has earned accolades as WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year and is a 2017 WNBA All-Star. She has played overseas in Turkey, China and Russia, and has represented the US at the U-16-U-19 levels.
Elizabeth was playing overseas in Turkey when the COVID outbreak began, forcing the league to cancel their season.
In our conversation, Elizabeth talks about:
-what it was like playing a game with no fans (because of COVID-19)
-why she watches jeopardy every night
-the time she sat in on an 8 hour spinal surgery
-what it was like being an WNBA all-star
-her passion for education and the importance of getting kids involved in STEM
-the game she blocked 3 shots in one possession
-how she’s gotten to level 5,000 of Candy Crush
And more!
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