UAFS Lions Coach Louis Whorton Hall of Fame
A playground legend of sorts in Chicago, Kim Williams seemed destined for greatness on the basketball court at an early age.
Williams had already won three state basketball championships at Chicago’s famed Marshall High School before she ever set foot on the campus of Westark College (now UA Fort Smith) in 1993. By the time she left the then-junior college, Williams had etched her name in the annals of history as one of the best players ever to suit up for the Lady Lions. The 5-foot-6 guard guided the Lady Lions to back-to-back appearances in the NJCAA national tournament – they were national runners-up in 1994 and national champions in 1995.
She helped guide the Lady Lions to a 67-2 record during her junior college career. That 1995 national title team finished 35-0 and beat Trinity Valley Community College 82-75 in the national championship game. That team is still regarded as arguably the best junior college women’s basketball team ever.
Williams was a two-time first team NJCAA All-American, a two-time All-Region II performer and a two-time MVP of the Region II tournament. As a sophomore, she was MVP of the NJCAA national tournament. During her two seasons at DePaul, Williams was named Conference USA Player of the Year and was a third team Associated Press All-American. She earned Kodak/WBCA All-District honors, first team All-Conference USA honors and second team All-Conference USA honors. As a senior, she led the nation in scoring with 25.2 points per game.
Williams became the first Lady Lions basketball player to be drafted by a professional team in 1997, when the Utah Starzz selected her with the 28th overall pick in the fourth round of the first-ever WNBA Draft. She played two seasons with the Starzz, averaging 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Williams played three seasons overseas before joining the Chicago Blaze of the NWBL, where she played for two seasons before returning overseas to play professionally.
