A video of Melissa Williams highlights playing for Eastern Washington University is online at:
Melissa Williams is not ready to quit playing basketball.
As her All-Big Sky Conference career at Eastern Washington was winding down, she began looking into playing overseas, and the Camas High School graduate signed last week with a sports management firm.
Williams, whose senior season in high school was cut short by a knee injury, said that playing professional basketball someday was just something of a dream as she played through various injuries during her time at EWU.
“It was really only a thought before now, because I really didn’t think my body would make it, to be honest,” she said. “I’ve had some injuries over the years, and I just wasn’t sure if my body was going to be still held together by the end of the season. Really, I’ve never felt better, so it became more of a possibility. I still don’t feel done with playing basketball, and I feel like I still haven’t played my best basketball yet. I just want to keep pursuing it and playing for as long as my body will allow, I guess.”
A 6-foot-1 forward, Williams led the Big Sky in rebounding at 9.5 a game during the 2014-15 season, also posting collegiate career-high averages in points (10.4), assists (2.0), steals (1.5) and blocks (0.9). The Eagles reached the conference tournament semifinals and the second round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, reaching 21 victories for the first time in 32 years.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” Williams said. “I feel so blessed to have been recruited to play here, and it was a great four years here. It was so full of adversity and overcoming obstacles, and I really feel that my last year here was just so worth it all. I feel like I’m leaving on such a positive note, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”
A four-time Big Sky All-Academic honoree, Williams is completing a biology degree. Her plan to next year complete her second bachelor’s degree in journalism and start applying to physical therapy programs is on hold for her hoop dreams.
“I just figure in a couple of years, I’ll come back and pick up where I left off,” she said.
Professional pursuit
As she began seriously considering pursuing professional basketball, Williams — who has friends playing in leagues in Germany and Ireland — contacted prospective agents who were recommended to her by coaches and friends. She found the right fit in Toronto-based Slan Sports Management and agent Jason Ronsley, who represents her as he seeks teams that might have interest.
The process of seeking representation seemed familiar to Williams.
“It was like being recruited all over again,” she said. “I have a little highlight reel. It was kind of like doing it all over again — the whole process.”
Ronsley’s firm concentrates on leagues in Western Europe, which is considered the part of the world where professional basketball is played that presents the least difficult adaptation for North American players.
For now, Williams is treating her time as just another offseason — and that starts with getting away from the game for a while.
“Right now, I’m training for a half marathon just to keep myself in some kind of decent shape,” she said. “I’m taking a little time off from basketball. I like to take some time off until I really miss it, then when I get back into it, I get back into it really hard.”
When she gets back into it, she will have a training partner in former EWU guard Lexie Nelson, who signed with the same agency. Williams said the two Second Team All-Big Sky selections will stay in Cheney for the summer and train at EWU’s facilities, including open gym sessions with current Eagles and sometimes players from other schools. No longer a collegiate player and not yet under contract to a professional team, she no longer has access to coaching, but that is fine with her.
“I’m pretty good and keeping myself motivated and in shape,” Williams said. “So is Lexie. She’s a sports exercise major, so she designs a lot of our workouts.”
European adventures
For Williams, it’s have passport, will travel.
She and some friends are going on a two-week European trip soon after EWU commencement on June 13. She might visit the place she will be calling home in a few months. On this trip or in her future career, or both, she might get to try out those three years of high school Spanish.
“We’ll see how far that gets me,” she said. “Probably not very far.”
Williams will see how far basketball gets her in this new adventure.
“This definitely was not my plan a year ago,” she said. “It sounds all great, and I’m sure it will be. A lot of it is up in the air, but I’m excited.”
