NEW YORK — As she exited the Barclays Center court following her walk-off interview after the Minnesota Lynx had completed a shocking upset against the New York Liberty, Courtney Williams stopped in front of her team bench to face the Lynx faithful and flex.
“I’m here,” she yelled. “I’m here.”
It’s been a circuitous path that led Williams here: to the Lynx, to point guard, and to WNBA Finals savior. She had a reputation for being a shoot-first, -second and -third guard and had to sign a make-good contract in Connecticut two years ago just to stay in the league. And there she was Thursday night in New York as the heart and soul of Minnesota’s historic comeback on the WNBA’s biggest stage.
Williams made the biggest play of the night. Her 4-point play with 5.5 seconds left in regulation, after missing a 3 earlier in the possession, gave the Lynx their first lead of the game. The play helped Minnesota en route to its 95-93 overtime Game 1 victory to become the first team in 184 tries to win in the postseason after trailing by at least 15 points in the final five minutes of regulation.
WHAT A SHOT BY COURTNEY WILLIAMS 😱 pic.twitter.com/HDuQAy9B9I
— ESPN (@espn) October 11, 2024
“We have so many great 3-point shooters, and the fact that these girls are out here trying to get me the ball, I mean, I could cry,” Williams said. “This is amazing. I love it.”
Williams wasn’t one of the higher-profile signings of the 2024 offseason. After spending the prior three seasons on three different teams, including a messy exit from Atlanta, she was turning into a journeywoman. There was real doubt that one year of playing point guard in Chicago qualified her to take on that role for a contender, especially since Minnesota had struggled to fill that spot after Lindsay Whalen’s retirement.
But the personality match between Williams and the rest of the Lynx has been seamless, and it’s enabled one of the most productive seasons of her career. She averaged a career-best 7.5 assists per 40 minutes during the regular season and was one of the two best midrange shooters in the league alongside MVP A’ja Wilson. More importantly, she gave Minnesota an edge it had been missing since the departures of their 2010s Hall of Fame core.
“If you’re around Courtney, she lights up a room when she walks in,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “She’s easygoing. She is who she is, and it’s direct and authentic and all those things. And so she literally can fit anywhere.”
Williams came to the Lynx knowing she would have to be a distributor, but she has maintained the scoring touch that made her an All-Star in 2021 before she arrived in Minnesota. Her season-high 23 points came at the perfect time for the Lynx.
“Courtney recognized that she had to get more aggressive,” Reeve said. “Her team needed her to be aggressive, to go score the basketball. We needed some help.”
The Liberty were supposed to be the more experienced team in this series considering the core of their lineup played in the finals together a year ago. But Williams has been here too. Trips to the finals with the Connecticut Sun in 2019 and 2022 left her prepared for what this moment would bring, and what it would take to weather the dramatic swings of postseason basketball.
Williams was reminiscing on her first trip to the championship round earlier Thursday, laughing at how excited she was when the Sun won their semifinal series.
“I was a kid, I didn’t even know what to expect,” Williams said. “I’m going crazy like we ain’t got a whole nother round. It’s crazy now because now when I look back on it, I’m like, girl, you should have locked in, y’all had a whole nother series.”
Five years later? “I feel so different,” Williams said. “I’m 30 now, so I’m definitely ready for the moment. I’m excited for it. I understand what it takes. So it definitely feels different. I think I’m a lot more prepared.”
DEFENSE ➡️ OFFENSE. pic.twitter.com/AClXEjHli7
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) October 11, 2024
She had the mental toughness and resilience to shake off a tough first half, when she barely made a dent offensively and let New York’s Leonie Fiebich break loose for multiple open 3-pointers. Her father, Don, who has developed a following of his own as the most boisterous fan in the Lynx traveling party, said that even he was quieted in the first half, but he knew they’d be making noise later.
His daughter made good on that declaration, heating up for 10 points in the fourth quarter. She added five more in the extra period as well as an assist in transition to Alanna Smith — all three plays extending Minnesota’s advantage to four to deter New York’s last-ditch comeback attempt.
And after the Lynx had finally gotten one last stop on the Liberty to seal the victory, Williams held court with her family and friends, each of whom had barely taken a seat since halftime. Williams had jokingly bristled earlier in the day when a team staffer told her what the seats cost, but she was adamant that they would be there anyway. They FaceTimed with fans in Minnesota, celebrating an unlikely finals road win with all they had left in the tank after a draining 48 hours.
The mistakes of the previous 45 minutes were all washed away as the necessary evils to arrive at the glorious conclusion. No matter what path led Williams to Minnesota, it has put her in the place that she is supposed to be, making plays for what could be the most successful franchise in league history after two more wins.
“I say that all the time, and I don’t say that for fun: These people I’m around, we believe in each other so much,” Williams said. “It’s crazy, man. I’m happy to be here.”
Williams likes to be where her feet are planted. Thursday, that was on the right wing of the 3-point line, spotting up for the biggest shot of her career, and the latest indicator that she has found her home in the WNBA.
Every player in the league dreams of playing in the finals and making an impact. Courtney Williams is here, and she is taking full advantage of this opportunity.
(Photo of Courtney Williams: David Dow / NBAE via Getty Images)
