The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Catching up with Earnesia Williams
09.02.2010 | Women's Basketball
Sept. 2, 2010
The next step in former Texas Women's Basketball forward Earnesia Williams' athletic career will be a rather large one. The 2009 UT graduate is heading to Europe and will compete as a professional player in the upcoming season.
Williams, a native of Sapulpa, Okla., will soon be en route to Portugal where she will play with Olivais Coimbra, a club based in Coimbra, Portugal. In 2008-2009, Coimbra took second in the EuroCup after losing to Ramla (Israel) in the finals.
During her five-year career on the Forty Acres, Williams became the 35th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points. TexasSports.com recently talked with Williams about the prospects of a new country and the opportunity to improve her game.
What made you want to play overseas? I want to continue playing basketball. So my plan is to go over there for a season, work on my game, and then return to a training camp in the WNBA. I'm hoping that this opportunity affords me a route into training camp. It is a building period for me personally.
How long will you be abroad? I am leaving very soon. I have to be there by Sept. 15. And I should be back around April 15 of next year.
Will this be your first time visiting Portugal? I have never been there before. The whole process has been very exciting and annoying, because I have to get my visa, passport and various other documents, but hopefully it is going to be all worth it.
What are you looking forward to most? I am looking forward to the travel, the different style of the game and meeting players from a different country. It will be unlike anything I've ever done before. The team speaks English, and my coach speaks pretty good English also, but the main language is Portuguese and then Spanish, due to its proximity. I'm imagining there will still be somewhat of a language barrier, but certainly not one that is insurmountable.
What is that you hope to gain from playing with Olivais? I am trying to work on playing guard and that skill set. I will definitely have more opportunities to play that position overseas. As far as dribbling, coming off spring and even shooting, I need some work. I struggle a little bit handling the ball under pressure, and I can really perfect that in game situations with this new team.
Will there be any differences playing basketball in Portugal? There are subtle differences in the rules like the post-dribble, pre-dribble step. That alone will present new challenges, but I'm confident I can adapt.
What will you miss most from the United States? I'm really going to miss my mom. Sadly, I won't have my No. 1 fan there. I'm going to have to keep her in the loop via Skype for the most part. But I already have plans to come home for Christmas, and we are currently working on a time for her come visit me for a little bit.