Madi Williams Selected By Seattle Storm in 2023 WNBA Draft
April 10, 2023 | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK CITY – With the 18th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, Oklahoma's Madi Williams was selected by the Seattle Storm. Her second-round selection made Williams the eighth top-20 pick from Oklahoma since 2002.
Williams became the 15th Sooner all-time to be drafted and the first since Whitney Hand in 2013. The Fort Worth, Texas, product was Oklahoma's highest selection since WNBA All-Star Danielle Robinson was picked sixth overall in 2011.
A three-time All-Big 12 first-team selection, Williams was an honorable mention All-America selection by the Associated Press and Women's Basketball Coaches Association this season. The forward finished her Oklahoma career inside the school's all-time top-10 in points (2nd, 2,365), rebounds (5th, 995), assists (9th, 354), steals (8th, 215), games played (2nd, 147) and starts (2nd, 141). Her career averages of 16.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game saw her become the first Sooner ever to eclipse 2,000 career points, 950 rebounds and 300 assists.
This year she helped lead Oklahoma to the program's first Big 12 championship since 2009 as Williams joined consensus National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark as one of two players to post 24.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per 40 minutes en route to a second consecutive unanimous All-Big 12 first-team honor.
Williams is the second Sooner to join the Seattle Storm, following in the footsteps of Courtney Paris, who helped guide Seattle to the 2018 WNBA Championship. The Sooner made Oklahoma one of two Big 12 schools to have a player drafted on Monday, as Iowa State had two drafted in Stephanie Soares and Ashley Joens.
She joined LaNeishea Caufield, Stacey Dales, Whitney Hand, Dionnah Jackson, Abi Olajuwon, Ashley Paris, Courtney Paris, Danielle Robinson, Rosalind Ross, Leah Rush, Nyeshia Stevenson, Amanda Thompson, Maria Villarroel and Phylesha Whaley as WNBA draft picks.
Training camps for WNBA teams open April 30, followed by the preseason tipoff on May 15. The regular season of the league's 27th season opens May 19.