The WNBA draft was held Monday night in New York City, where 36 women were drafted into the league. Former Jackson State Tigers superstar Ameshya Williams-Holliday became the first player from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to be drafted by the WNBA in two decades, Insider reported.
Williams-Holliday was selected as the 25th pick in the third round by the Indiana Fever.
WLOX sports reporter Michael Dugan shared a video on Twitter, capturing the moment as a group of supporters surrounded Williams-Holliday after being selected to the team.
With the 25th pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, the Indiana Fever select…
Ameshya Williams-Holiday, from Gulfport, Mississippi. (West Harrison/Jackson State). pic.twitter.com/AhxN4kdrNK
— Michael Dugan (@MDuganWLOX) April 12, 2022
“I’m just grateful and thankful,” Williams-Holliday told reporters in a post-draft press conference via Zoom. “I’m really lost for words. I don’t know what to say. It’s just unbelievable to me.”
The 24-year-old became a Jackson State Tigers superstar after she joined head coach Tomekia Reed’s program in 2019. She was a three-time first-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection and SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 19.2 points and 11.4 boards per game this season.
Williams-Holliday was only five years old when Andrea Gardner, Amba Kongolo, and Jaclyn Winfield were the only HBCU prospects selected to the WNBA in 2002.
During her time at Jackson State, Williams-Holliday gained recognition on the court with 16.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, leading the Tigers to 60 wins and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Her athletic career with Mississippi left a long-lasting impression on coach Reed, who congratulated her former collegiate star on the historic moment.
“Since day one, when she stepped foot on Jackson State campus, she has just been phenomenal for our program,” Reed said of Williams-Holliday. “She has made history year after year after year, game after game, she has made history. And to get drafted as high as she did today, she’s continuing to blaze trails. She’s continuing to make history. And I am just one proud coach.”
Williams-Holliday’s most notable achievement was rediscovering her love for basketball. After two seasons of high-intensity SEC hoops with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, she decided to leave the team. She also dropped out of school and swore never to play basketball again. However, Reed took a chance on the then-20-year-old and recruited her to the team. She promised Williams-Holliday that she would pay her way through Jackson State whether or not she decided to play for the Tigers.
After finding out she was pregnant, Williams-Holliday remained focused and enrolled at JSU in the summer of 2018 — it was six months before she gave birth to her son and more than a year and a half after she returned to the court.
“I’m just happy I went back to school and changed my life around,” Williams-Holliday said. “[Coach Reed is] the reason, and she just pushed me a lot.”
Despite several setbacks, Williams-Holliday is grateful to have been a part of history after 19 consecutive WNBA drafts failed to select an HBCU prospect.
“It means a lot to me,” Williams-Holliday said Monday. “I’m just glad I kept making history, going to keep making history, and the people that’s coming behind me, just keep going. Anything is possible.”
