CHICAGO (September 19, 2024) — The Chicago Sky have signed veteran Elizabeth Williams to a contract extension through the 2025 season, the organization announced today.
“I’m so excited and grateful for the opportunity to represent the Chicago Sky organization once again,” Williams said. “The Sky have valued me from the second I joined and despite my injury this past season that support has never wavered. I look forward to doing my part in fostering an elite culture here and bringing a championship back to Chicago.”
In a Sky uniform, Williams has amassed 295 rebounds, 112 assists, 75 blocks, 65 steals and 482 points in just two seasons.
Williams has been sidelined most of the 2024 season with a knee injury that occurred in June. This season she became the first player to record multiple games with 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, 4+ steals and 4+ blocks in a single season after recording 17 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four steals against Los Angeles on May 30.
“We are absolutely thrilled Elizabeth is staying in Chicago,” Chicago Sky General Manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Elizabeth is an inspiring, authentic leader who has provided critical guidance and mentorship to the team all season long. We can’t wait to see her back on the court healthy again, while continuing to lead by example as an essential piece of the Sky organization.”
During the 2023 season, she led the team in blocks per game with 1.5, total blocks with 60 and was fifth in the league in blocks during the regular season. She recorded a career-high six blocks on July 82 against Seattle and recorded three or more blocks in seven games last season. Williams also moved to No. 10 on the WNBA all-time blocks list with 444 career blocks, passing Taj McWilliams-Franklin on June 4 against New York.
She averaged career-high numbers in 2023 with 2.5 assists per game and 1.3 steals per game, including a career-high five steals on August 6 against Dallas. Her 9.8 points per game was her most since 2020, along with her rebounds and blocks being her highest averages since 2019.
Williams cemented her place in the Sky record books in 2023, ranking top 10 in single season franchise leaderboards for offensive rebounds (sixth), steals (ninth) and blocks (fifth). She also became the first player to appear and start in 40 games for Chicago.
Her defensive presence earned her WNBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2023 for the second time in her career (previously with Atlanta in 2020). She was also awarded the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award in 2023, exemplifying the ideals of sportsmanship on the court and was the second player in Sky franchise history — next to Swin Cash in 2013 — to receive the honor.
Over her career, her 1.5 blocks per game ranks tenth in WNBA history and fifth among active players.
The Duke University alum was originally drafted No. 4 overall in the 2015 WNBA Draft by Connecticut and signed with Chicago on February 3, 2023 as a free agent.
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