Story from article in the Alaska Dispatch …
In an article published in the Alaska Dispatch News, writer Stephan Wiebe relates the story of Kennedale graduate Autumn Williams’ basketball success that took a 4,394 mile turn from Kennedale through Athens (TX), Little Rock (Ar) and finally to Anchorage (Al). {{more:Read more …}}
This year in her senior year, Williams, plays for the University of Alaska at Anchorage on a team that is 23-1 and 16-0 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) and ranked second in the nation in NCAA Division II women’s basketball.USBWA national player of the week …
This week Williams earned national player of the week honors from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association after scoring 65 points in two games last week.
She was also, for the second straight week, the player of the week in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, which has honored her four times this season.
Williams is the GNAC’s third-leading scorer with 21 points per game even though she averages 28 minutes per game. She has eclipsed 20 points in 10 of her last 12 games.
What a difference a year makes …
But that wasn?t the story last year at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, a Division I school where Williams saw action in only 11 games and scored a total of 4 points.
“Certain things don’t work out and I think everything happens for a reason, and I’m just meant to be here,” Williams told Wiebe. “I’m glad I made the decision to come here because these happen to be the best moments of my life right now.”
When Williams decided to give UAA a shot, she said her friends and family thought she was a little crazy for choosing a school in Alaska as her third college basketball team in four seasons.
“Now they know why I came here,” Williams said with a laugh.
“I think what she just needed is someone to believe in her,” UAA coach Ryan McCarthy told Wiebe. “I think that’s what the big thing was, (and I) bought in from clip No. 1.”
Played for Kennedale ?
Autummn played for the Lady Kats under Vance Hughes on the team that went 30-5 and made it all the way to the Texas 3A state championship final game in 2013. She signed to play with Trinity Valley Junior College in Athens and then transferred to UALR.
While playing for Kennedale she scored 1,494 points, 540 rebounds, 534 steals, 363 assists and 136 blocks in two varsity seasons at Kennedale High, leading Lady Kats to 2013 Class 3A State title game ? in addition to multiple all-state and all-region awards, earned District 6 co-MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors ? named District 1 Tournament MVP and McDonald?s All-American nominee ? averaged 20.1 points as senior, with season-high of 39.
Senior night at UAA ?
Williams is one of four players who will be honored Saturday on Senior Night. Williams said her mom, Sharon Jones, will be in attendance. Other family members, including dad Clifford Williams, brother Robert and sister Aysia, will be watching online as usual.
“(Senior Night) came too quick,” Williams said to Wiebe. “A couple weeks ago I didn’t know it was this close ? I’m just grateful we have such a (great) fan base and so many supporters that come here on a consistent basis.”Read the full story @ Alaska
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