Laura Williams has emerged as a breakout presence for the USC women’s basketball team, which is on a six-game win streak. She’s become the Trojans’ premier rebounder, not only due to her length but because of her determination.
“Her athleticism is elite, her length and her will,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb told reporters. “There’s not a lot of plays that she quits on. So, even if you make a mistake and you’re still playing hard and you’re long, you can make up for it. That’s been something that we’ve really seen happen a lot.”
Williams is blazing her own path, but the perseverance that Gottlieb praises could come from the redshirt freshman’s father.
Doug Williams was the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl when playing for the Washington Redskins. In 1988, he was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXII, setting or tying multiple Super Bowl records in the 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.
The historic accomplishments served as motivation as his daughter went through her own struggles with an ACL injury that kept her sidelined all of last season.
“He went through a lot of hardship at the time that he did what he did,” Laura Williams told reporters. “Knowing that he went through that and knowing that I could do it myself, no matter what type of adversity I faced, even if it looks a little different than what he went through.”
Laura Williams has bounced back and seen an increase in her playing time – up to an average 24.8 minutes in the past five games – which has translated into a team-best 9.8 rebounds per game during that stretch. She hit career highs in rebounding (14) and blocks (4) in 30 minutes as USC (17-9 overall, 9-6 Big Ten) posted a 66-59 win over Wisconsin on Thursday.
“When she first hurt her knee, the first thing I told her was it’s going to be a mindset,” Doug Williams said in a video posted to USC’s social media channels.
“Sometimes you want to quit. You don’t want to go no further because of the injury. And I told her in order to get there, she’s got to work. And I can say one thing: I saw her work, man.”
USC was lacking a true, singular post player for most of this season. Laura Williams had all the physical attributes as a 6-foot-2 forward with a broad wingspan, but it wasn’t until recently that she asserted her dominance under the net.
“With the post, we’ve been by committee for most of the year,” Gottlieb said. “And we knew at some point, maybe certain people would emerge with certain styles and things that they’re capable of. We want to grow into that, but there’s no question with the increased minutes and increased reps, her trajectory has gone up.”
Collectively, the Trojans average 38.7 rebounds a game and could have a tightly contested battle on the boards when they travel to No. 10 Ohio State for their third-to-last regular-season game Sunday.
The Buckeyes (22-5, 11-4) are recording 37.4 rebounds per game and are more dominant on the defensive side. Williams will contend with 6-foot-6 center Elsa Lemmilä (6.5 rpg) and 6-foot-4 guard Kylee Kits (6.4 rpg) on the glass.
As Laura Williams continues to rise up to challenges, her dad is with her all the way.
“She made sure that (injury) wasn’t going to stop her from doing what she wants to do and she’s done an excellent job in coming back,” Doug Williams said. “Just to see her run up and down the court – for me, it’s big for me just to see her do that.”
USC (17-9 overall, 9-6 Big Ten) at No. 10 OHIO STATE (22-5, 11-4)
When: 11 a.m. PT Sunday
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
TV/Radio: FS1/710 AM
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