Natalie Williams

For the singer, see Nu:Tone.

Medal record
Competitor for  United States
Olympic Games
Gold	2000 Sydney	National Team
World Championships
Gold	2002 China	National Team

Natalie Williams (born on November 30, 1970 in Long Beach, California) was a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).^[1]

Early years

Williams is the daughter of Nate Williams, a former basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City-Omaha Kings, New Orleans Jazz and the Golden State Warriors in the National Basketball Association during an eight-year career.

Although she was born in Southern California, she went to high school at Taylorsville High School in Utah.

She also has two half brothers and one half sister. Both of her brothers played basketball but her sister chose to focus her athletic abilities on tennis.

College years

She attended the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and graduated there in 1994. She was a four-year letter-winner in both basketball and volleyball, and is the first woman to earn All-America honors in both basketball and volleyball in the same year. She also led UCLA to NCAA volleyball titles in 1990 and 1991.

ABL career

Natalie Williams played three seasons for the Portland Power in the American Basketball League (ABL). She was traded to the Long Beach StingRays in April of 1998, but when the team folded, she was reassigned to the Power. She was a two-time All-ABL first team selection, the 1998 ABL M.V.P., finished her first season as the league's top rebounder, averaging 12.5 rebounds per game, and on January 9, 1999, she grabbed a league record 22 rebounds.

WNBA career

After the ABL folded, she was selected by her hometown team, the Utah Starzz in the first round (third pick overall) of the 1999 WNBA Draft on May 4, 1999.

She played with the Starzz from 1999 to 2002. However, just a few weeks prior to the start of the 2003 season, she was traded to the Indiana Fever in a multi-player deal on May 1, 2003.

Prior to the start of the 2005 season, Williams announced that she would retire after the season ended, saying that she will concentrate on raising her adopted twins, as well as serving as an assistant coach for Skyline' high school Girls basketball team in Salt Lake City, Utah, and launching a new career in the real estate business. She is remembered by fans as one of the best rebounding power forward in the early history of the WNBA.

Other basketball leagues and outside basketball

Williams won an Olympic Gold Medal as a member of the U.S. women's basketball team during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

In 2002, she opened a restaurant called Natalie's in Salt Lake City, Utah. She carried the Olympic Torch in the Salt Lake City area prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics. She also was named to the United States 2002 World Championship Games team.

She considers Cheryl Miller as her basketball role model.

Vital statistics

• Position: Forward
• Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.90 m)
• College: UCLA
• Team(s): Indiana Fever

References

1. ^ WNBA Player Profile, WNBA.com

External links

• WNBA Player Profile
• September 18, 2005 Salt Lake Tribune article on her impending retirement
• Natalie Williams on Real Champions

Persondata
Name	Williams, Natalie
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Short description
Date of birth	November 30, 1970
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death