WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Mystics announced today that they have signed forward-center Elizabeth Williams. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Elizabeth Williams could end up being the lynchpin to our championship aspirations. She has been an All-WNBA defender, which matches the skill sets of our several other All Defensive team players. She rebounds, blocks shots, talks, and controls the lane defensively,” stated Head Coach and General Manager Mike Thibault. “On offense, she runs the floor, has great hands and finishes well, and is great in the pick and roll game. Her teammates will love how she gets them open with her screens, while her offensive range continues to expand. On top of it all, she is selfless and an example setting leader. Welcome to D.C.!”
Williams (6-3, 200) has appeared in 208 career games (186 starts) with Atlanta (2016-2021) and Connecticut (2015), recording averages of 8.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.7 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game.
“I’m really excited to join this Mystics team and organization,” stated Williams. “This is an amazing opportunity for me to complement the Mystics core and hopefully contend for a championship. I’m committed to bringing everything I have to help this team succeed on and off the court.”
The six-year pro averaged 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks in 32 games (all starts) with Atlanta last season. She also shot 51.6 percent from the field, her highest clip since the 2018 season, and the third time in her career she has shot 50.0 percent or better from the field. Her 1.3 blocks per game ranked seventh in the league last season and her career average 1.7 blocks per game ranks sixth in WNBA history and third among active players.
The Duke product was named to the 2020 WNBA All-Defensive First Team and was the WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2016. Williams in the fourth Mystics player to be named to the WNBA’s All-Defensive Team (A. Atkins, A. Clark, N. Cloud). She was originally selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft by Connecticut.
The 2022 WNBA season marks the 25th Anniversary for the Washington Mystics. Chartered in 1997, the Mystics are one of the first WNBA expansion franchises to be established and the longest tenured women’s professional sports team in Washington, D.C.
