Elizabeth Williams

Classroom

Williams has tallied a 3.46 grade-point average over her three years at Duke and was selected to the Dean’s List in the Spring of 2012. As a senior, she was named Capital One Academic All-America and recently was selected the recipient of the Kay Yow Award as the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.  She is a two-time ACC Honor Roll selection, a two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree and is on track to graduate in May with a degree in psychology. Her career interests outside of basketball involve medicine, and she was fortunate enough over the summer of 2014 to participate in the CAPE internship and shadow different doctors, physicians’ assistants and nurses as they worked in their respective clinics and operating rooms. Williams was able to see the realities of medicine, both good and bad, and realized that being in the medical profession was something that she has a desire to do. The CAPE program at Duke will help her immensely in going into medicine.

Character

When you mention the name Elizabeth Williams, most people in the women’s basketball world will have great things to say. She is one of the most well-liked and respected players in the nation. With outstanding character and morals, Williams is an ideal role model and student-athlete. She leads by example, although, as a senior this season, she is being more vocal than before. Williams takes great pride in team meetings and is leading more and helping the younger players improve. As for her work ethic, her ability to balance basketball and her major at a high level is a constant example of hard work and work ethic.

Community

Since arriving at Duke, Williams has been heavily involved in the Durham community. She received the 2014 ACC Top-Six for Service Award, and some examples of what she has been involved in include the following: the summer special needs program at Forrest View Elementary School; the Durham Nursing & Rehabilitation Center; the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis; tutoring at Lakewood Montessori Middle School; Camp Kaleidoscope visitor; ASPIRE (After-School Programs Involving Recreational Enrichment); the Forest Senior Assisted Living Home; Christmas Adopt-a-Family with Duke women’s basketball; Read with the Blue Devils; and campus tours on Duke Football game days. Williams has been an ACTION Leader at Duke for three years, a Duke women’s basketball summer camp counselor, a Time Out Bible study leader, S.O.L.E. participant at Duke, and has participated in a CAPE internship at the Duke Medical Center.

Competition

Elizabeth Williams was recently selected ESPNW Second Team All-America becoming the first four-time All-America selection in Duke history. Prior to the postseason starting, she earned First Team All-ACC honors for the fourth straight year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth year in a row.  She joined only Alana Beard as four-time First Team All-ACC selections and is the first four-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year selection.  Is a three-time Associated Press All-America, the 2011-12 National Freshman of the Year, four-time All-ACC Defensive Team, three-time First-Team All-ACC Tournament, and she has led USA Basketball to three gold medals. She is a Naismith Award, John R. Wooden Award and Wade Trophy candidate for national player of the year. Williams is the first Blue Devil to be named an Associated Press All-American in each of her first three seasons and only the seventh player in ACC history to earn Associated Press All-America honors three times. She blocked a shot in each of her first 91 games she appeared in at Duke, which is a Duke and ACC record and became the fourth-quickest Blue Devil to reach 1,000 points (69 games). She owns 28 career charges taken, 415 career blocks (ranking second), and she posted an ACC freshman record of 116 blocked shots, which was the sixth-most in league history for a season. Her 108 blocks as a junior is tied for seventh, and the 107 as a sophomore is tied for ninth. Williams’ 12 blocks at Wake Forest as a freshman was an ACC single-game record.