Elizabeth Williams Siblings: All About Victoria and Mark Williams
WNBA player Elizabeth Williams PHOTO/Just Women's Sports
Elizabeth Williams is a British-born Nigerian-American professional basketball player currently playing as a center for the Chicago Sky in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Elizabeth moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
She discovered her passion for basketball at age nine and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a standout athlete known for her defensive prowess and versatility on the court.
After an illustrious college career at Duke University, she entered the WNBA in 2015 and has since established herself as one of the league’s premier defensive players.
Siblings
Elizabeth is one of three siblings in her family, with her parents raising two daughters and a son.
Her older sister, Victoria Williams, has maintained a relatively low profile compared to her basketball-playing siblings, and little public information is available about her personal or professional life.
However, Elizabeth’s younger brother, Mark Williams, has followed closely in her footsteps, carving out his own impressive path in basketball.
Mark is a professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Like Elizabeth, Mark attended Duke University, where he played for the Blue Devils men’s basketball team from 2020 to 2022.
A 7-foot center, he was selected 15th overall in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Hornets.
Career
Elizabeth’s basketball journey began in earnest when she joined an AAU team as a young girl, quickly showcasing her talent and height.
By age 15, she was selected for the inaugural USA Women’s U16 Basketball Team, competing in the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mexico City, where she averaged 13.4 points and led the team in rebounds.
Her success continued with the U17 and U19 national teams, earning gold medals at the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship in France and contributing to the U19 team in 2011.
At Duke University from 2011 to 2015, Elizabeth became a dominant force in women’s college basketball.
Playing as a center, she averaged 14.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game over her four-year career.
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Her defensive tenacity made her a nightmare for opponents, and she graduated with 426 total blocks, ranking ninth in NCAA history.
After her senior year, she declared for the 2015 WNBA Draft and was selected 4th overall by the Connecticut Sun.
Elizabeth’s rookie season with the Sun in 2015 was a modest start, averaging 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
However, her career took off after being traded to the Atlanta Dream in 2016.
That year, she averaged 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, showcasing her growth as a well-rounded player.
She spent six seasons with the Dream, becoming a cornerstone of the team and a vocal leader off the court, notably advocating for social justice issues during the 2020 season.
In 2022, she signed with the Washington Mystics, and in 2023, she joined the Chicago Sky, where she continues to excel despite a season-ending meniscus injury in June 2024.
On September 29, 2024, she signed a one-year extension with the Sky.
Beyond her playing career, Elizabeth has served as the secretary of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA).
Accolades
Williams’ career is decorated with numerous accolades that highlight her excellence on and off the court.
During her time at Duke, Elizabeth was a four-time All-American and a four-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year from 2012 to 2015.
In her senior year, she was named the 2015 National Defensive Player of the Year. Her jersey was retired by Duke in 2016, a testament to her impact on the program.
In the WNBA, Elizabeth earned the Most Improved Player Award in 2016 after her breakout season with the Atlanta Dream.
She was selected as a WNBA All-Star in 2017 and has been named to the WNBA All-Defensive Team twice, in 2020 and 2021.
She ranks sixth in WNBA history for career blocks and third among active players, with a career average of 1.7 blocks per game.
On the international stage, Elizabeth’s early career with USA Basketball included gold medals at the 2009 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship, where she led her teams in scoring and rebounding.
Beyond athletics, she made a significant social impact in 2020 by leading the Atlanta Dream’s efforts to oppose then-co-owner Kelly Loeffler’s stance on Black Lives Matter, supporting Raphael Warnock’s Senate campaign, which elevated the WNBA’s role in social justice advocacy.