The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Natalie Williams about winning a gold medal in 2000. Today marks the 17th anniversary of her final WNBA All-Star Game appearance in 2003.
Your father Nate Williams played in the NBA: how much of an influence was he on your own decision to play basketball, and who is the best athlete in the family? I did not actually meet him until I was 16 but I knew that he was a great athlete. His decision to play basketball did not really have an impact on me but he was very encouraging/helpful. It was mostly just about me striving for greatness: I had a high work ethic and enjoyed it. I was more into volleyball in college: it was my 1st love/passion. I originally went to UCLA on a volleyball scholarship: I just played basketball for fun. I would say that I am the better athlete because I played 2 sports.
You won back-to-back NCAA volleyball titles at UCLA and were named 1992 national POY: what did it mean to you to win a pair of titles, and what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means more now when I look back on it. I worked very hard but at the time you are just in the moment. I only played front row as a freshman but improved my defense during that year.
You were the 1st woman to be named an All-American in basketball and volleyball in the same year: how exhausted were you by the end of the year, and which sport did you enjoy the most? It was an unheard-of feat. I was tired: it is hard enough just to be a college athlete in 1 sport. The nice part of playing volleyball is that I got to miss most of the preseason basketball workouts! I wish that I would have played 1 season of softball: Hall of Fame coach Sue Enquist asked me to play but I was just so tired, although it would have been a fun experience to play 3 different sports. Volleyball was my favorite sport during college: we made the Final 4 during each of my 4 years so it was like a UConn basketball situation.
In the spring of 1998 the ABL’s Portland Power traded you to Long Beach, but after the Stingrays fold you were sent back to the Power: how weird was the whole situation, and how were you able to stay focused enough to be named ABL MVP? It was weird! I was willing to leave Portland because I was from Long Beach and thought that it would be nice to play at home. It was not a let-down to go back to Portland because I got to return to play for Coach Lin Dunn and see all of my old friends/teammates.
You were a 4-time WNBA All-Star and played for the winning West team in the 1st-ever WNBA All-Star Game in 1999: where does that West roster (including fellow Hall of Famers Michelle Timms/Cynthia Cooper/Lisa Leslie/Ruthie Bolton/Jennifer Gillom/Yolanda Griffith) rank among the best that you have ever been a part of? I would hope it goes down as 1 of the best: many of them were my Olympic teammates the following year. To play as well as we did made it hard for our opponents to compete.
In the 2000 Olympic gold medal basketball game you had 15 PTS/9 REB for team USA in a win over Australia: what did it mean to you to win a gold medal, and was it extra-gratifying after being 1 of the last players cut from the 1996 Olympic volleyball team? All things happen for a reason: being cut from the Olympic volleyball team after coming back from a devastating ACL injury during my senior year made me feel like I had let down my UCLA team. I moved to San Diego to train for the Olympic volleyball team where I lived by myself and practiced several hours/day. Making the basketball team showed me how important perseverance is and that good things will happen if you continue to work hard. My college coach got me a tryout for the Jones Cup team despite not having played for a couple of years: the coaches said that I was a little rusty but still a great rebounder. I was not a starter for team USA: I played behind Lisa/Yolanda/Teresa Edwards/Sheryl Swoopes/Nikki McCray. I was not leaving without a gold medal and it was great to feel super-human…if only for 1 game.
In 2005 you retired as the leading rebounder in US women’s basketball history: what is the secret to being a great rebounder? The 1st thing is desire: for whatever reason I just loved to rebound. I had a good vertical jump/timing, which I developed during my time playing volleyball. My strength to out-muscle people and hold my position also helped a lot. You have to know angles and how the ball will come off the rim depending on where it is shot from. Hopefully my own kids will have that trait, otherwise I will have to teach them. Some people do not care about rebounding but I tried to get my hands on every missed shot.
In 2006/2008 you won a pair of state titles as an assistant basketball coach at Skyline High School: how do you like being a coach, and what do you hope to do in the future? I have been coaching for almost 15 years now and I run my own club program with about 150 kids from 3rd grade through high school. I love it even though it is kind of backwards: I think that coaching is what I was meant to do and is a result of all my success as a player. Traveling with my team each summer is the best thing ever and I love seeing them excel/grow. My kids are good players and I enjoy watching them continue to improve and get some scholarship offers at age 7 (my daughter Nation)!
In 2016 you were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and named to the Pac-12 All-Century Team: where do these rank among the highlights of your career? It would have to be right up there at the top, along with winning a gold medal. It is an incredible honor and a tribute to all of the hard work I put in during my career. It is hard to grasp and crazy to look back and try to realize what you have done.
You have a Basketball Academy (www.nataliewilliamsbasketballacademy.com) whose mission is “to empower young athletes of all ages through positive and fun training”: how is your academy different from other organizations, and what have you been able to accomplish so far? I do not know how different we are from other clubs but this is my passion. I love seeing the joy of the kids when they learn a skill or trick of the trade. I love teaching them the importance of respecting themselves, their opponents, the refs, the scorekeepers, etc. They need to be good teammates by encouraging their teammates. I have some of the best players in the state and it is fun to finally put Utah on the map as having great recruitable athletes with some of the best club kids in the country. It is also neat to befriend all of the college coaches who are recruiting my kids and then watch my kids end up at schools like Utah State/BYU/etc. My goal is to eventually get some kids into the Pac-12. 