The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Danni Williams joins Women's Basketball as graduate transfer
05.06.2018 | Women's Basketball
Williams will be immediately eligible to play for the Longhorns in 2018-19.
Danni Williams, a graduate transfer from Texas A&M University, has signed an Athletic Scholarship Agreement (ASA) to play basketball for the University of Texas in the 2018-19 season, head coach Karen Aston announced Sunday. Williams is immediately eligible to play for the Longhorns.
Williams is a 5-foot-10 guard from Clovis, N.M., who earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors for the Aggies in 2016-17. In her final season in College Station in 2017-18, Williams set the Texas A&M school single-season record with 71 three-pointers made and finished second all-time in Aggies history with a career three-point percentage of 35.4. She also ranks fifth in Texas A&M annals with a career free-throw percentage of 80.7. Williams turned in 58 career double-figure scoring games.
Williams in 2017-18 became the 30th player in Texas A&M history to eclipse 1,000 career points and currently boasts 1,117 points. She has played in 97 collegiate games with 66 starts, averaging 27.7 minutes per game. This past season, Williams led the SEC and ranked seventh nationally in minutes played (1,110 / 35.8 mpg). She ranked fifth in the SEC in three-pointers made (71) and was 13th in field-goal percentage (41.5). Williams averaged 14.7 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists per game.
As a sophomore in 2016-17, Williams started all 34 games for the Aggies and ranked sixth in the SEC with 16.6 points per game. She increased her scoring average from the previous season by 13.5 points - the largest such increase in program history. Williams' 563 points as a sophomore tied for the seventh-most in a single-season at Texas A&M and matched the Aggie sophomore scoring record. She was second in the SEC in minutes played per game at 37.2. Williams averaged 1.85 three-pointers per game and shot 82 percent from the free-throw line. She hit a critical three-pointer late in the game that helped Texas A&M complete an historic 21-point comeback against Penn in the NCAA Tournament. Williams totaled nine 20-plus point games and two 30-plus point games in 2016-17. She was an SEC Academic Honor Roll selection.
As a freshman in 2015-16, Williams averaged 3.1 points per game and 1.3 rebounds per game. She garnered her team's Academic Award and was named to the SEC's First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
Hailing from Clovis High School, Williams was rated the seventh-best guard and the No. 35 overall player in the class of 2015 by ESPN.com. She was New Mexico's first three-time winner of the Gatorade Player of the Year Award. As a senior, she averaged 24.4 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, 3.1 steals per game and 2.6 assists per game, leading Clovis to a 27-3 record and a state semifinal appearance. Her teams went 114-10 over her four-year prep career, winning a New Mexico state title as a sophomore in 2013. Williams was a three-time District MVP, a first-team all-state selection and a New Mexico Miss Basketball honoree by NM Preps. She set her high school's scoring record as a sophomore and broke her own record each of the next two seasons. Williams was also a first-team All-District honoree in volleyball.
Williams will graduate later this month with a bachelor's degree in sport management from Texas A&M University.
QUOTES
TEXAS HEAD COACH KAREN ASTON
"We are extremely excited to bring Danni to the Forty Acres for the 2018-19 season. She is a seasoned basketball player who will immediately bring some maturity and experience to our backcourt. She is a gym rat also, which I think fits with our players, and is a sponge when it comes to wanting to be the best she can be in all areas of her life. Danni clicked with our players and staff from the start and it seemed like it was a perfect fit. I appreciate her maturity and respect in the process, and believe she and our program will benefit from her coming to Texas. Lastly, there are very few that fit the mold of student-athlete the way that Danni does and we are proud to add her to the Longhorn Family."
DANNI WILLIAMS
"I am very excited to join the University of Texas women's basketball team. I'm thankful to Coach Aston and her staff for recruiting me throughout this process. I am excited to learn and play for them in my final season. I can't wait to start working with my new teammates and be on the Forty Acres soon."
