Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series from SB Nation profiling the 2025 WNBA All-Star teams. Today, let’s get to know Courtney Williams.
Making it as a professional athlete is all about defying the odds, and no one knows that better than Courtney Williams. She’s known now as a master of the mid-range shot by fans, but Williams’ path to the WNBA wasn’t as automatic as her middy. Her success shows the power of resilience, hard work, and focus. If you take anything from her path, let it be the fact that the odds don’t have to matter if you have determination and faith in your potential.
All-Star status was far from a sure thing for Williams. In high school, she had to sit out her sophomore basketball season. She wasn’t injured — it was punishment from her father for sneaking out of the house and hanging out with the wrong crowd. Now, Papa Williams is Courtney’s biggest cheerleader, but at the time, not playing for a year probably seemed like the end of the world to someone who loves the game as much as Courtney does.
Things didn’t get easier from there. Out of high school, Williams only had one NCAA DI offer, from the University of South Florida. She took it, and ended up making her opponents wish they’d made the same proposal when she led the ACC in scoring during her junior year, with 20.3 points per game. Taking full advantage of the opportunity that was presented to her, Williams silenced the doubters and is now in the USF Athletic Hall of Fame, her No. 10 jersey retired at the school.
Even when entering the WNBA, though, she still had more to prove to become an All-Star. The No. 8 overall draft pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft spent time on a variety of WNBA rosters, including the Phoenix Mercury (where she was drafted), the Connecticut Sun, and the Atlanta Dream. She made her first All-Star team in Atlanta, but still ended up being waived by the Dream after the 2021 season after an online video showed her getting involved in a fight. She went back to the Sun in 2022, signed with the Chicago Sky in 2023, and then the Minnesota Lynx in 2024, where she currently plays.
Williams was able to recover from what could have been a career-altering disaster in 2021, but she also improved as a player and adapted to her teams’ needs. During her time in Chicago, she switched from playing primarily as a shooting guard to running point more often, and she thrived. She has been able to maintain her incredible shooting in the midrange while also expanding her ability to create chances for her teammates.
Williams has been a key component to the Minnesota Lynx’s team chemistry over the past two seasons, but is also crucial to their on-court success. She continues to play the point guard position, and her playmaking chemistry with the team’s MVP, Napheesa Collier, is evident. In the Lynx’s thrilling playoff run in 2024, Williams shot 44.4% from three-point range, but also averaged 5.9 assists per game in 12 postseason games. Her vision as a point guard is spectacular, but she can also contribute with her scoring when needed, especially in big moments. She has absolutely owned the midrange her entire career, and continues to do so in Minnesota. She has never shot below the 99th percentile from that area in her entire pro career, and that’s impressive, especially as her playing time has increased over the years.
In 2025, she has averaged 14.0 points per game is making 6.0 dimes per game as Minnesota has surged to a nearly unbeaten (18-4) record in the regular season, earning Williams her second career All-Star nomination. Imagine if she had listened to the doubters who didn’t think she had a future as a high-level player? Her success is also a testament to her family for holding her to a high standard and knowing her potential. They now get to celebrate the success of Courtney, and her dad 100% does so from the stands at most Lynx home games these days. He has a season ticket near the court, right at center court, and is seen on social media videos from fans cheering and celebrating after every bucket from his daughter.
The path to success is hardly ever easy, especially when nothing is handed to you. You need the exact right combination of knowing your potential, focusing on what is important, and dedication to doing the hard work. Courtney Williams has found the balance and is now at the point where she can enjoy her efforts. Instead of fighting to stay on a WNBA roster, she leads one. The last checkmark on Williams’ to-do list is surely winning a WNBA Championship, and the Minnesota Lynx are currently the favorites to do so in 2025. That won’t be the end of her career, but it would be an incredible capper for a resume that has turned out better than anyone, maybe even Williams, could have ever expected.
