Riquna "Bay Bay" Williams (born May 28, 1990) is an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team play ...

of the

Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...

(WNBA). She played collegiately for the

Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...

of the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

, where she majored in sports administration. Riquna's nickname is Bay Bay. She is the youngest of five children. As a senior in high school she averaged 32.5 points per game at

Pahokee High School Pahokee High School (also known as Pahokee Junior Senior High School) is a historic school in Pahokee, Florida. It is currently located at 900 Larrimore Road. On November 15, 1996, The old Pahokee High School building on E. Main St. was added t ...

. As a freshman at the

she averaged 8.7 points per game, including a season high of 23 points against Clemson. She was first discovered during the summer going into her senior year of high school playing for Team Breakdown. She emerged as one of the best scorers in the country in her sophomore year, and averaged 19.6 points per game. She was named to the All-

ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...

Second Team her sophomore year Williams was named to the pre-season Wooden watch list, a list of players under consideration for the

John R. Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...

, which will be presented to the outstanding player of the year at the end of the season.

College statistics

Source

WNBA career

Williams was selected with the 17th pick in the second round of the 2012 WNBA Draft by the

Tulsa Shock The Tulsa Shock were a professional basketball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Detroit, Michigan before the 1998 WNBA season began; t ...

. In her rookie season with the Shock, Williams averaged 10.5 points per game off the bench as the Shock's back-up point guard. She was listed on the WNBA All-Rookie Team by the end of the season. Williams would have a breakout year in the 2013 season, averaging a career-high 15.6 points per game despite starting in only 6 of the 27 games she played during the season. On September 8, 2013, Williams had the best offensive performance in WNBA history as she set the record for most points in a single game by scoring 51 points (which has since been broken by Liz Cambage in July, 2018), at the same time tying the WNBA record for most three-point field goals in a single game, with 8 three-pointers (which has since been broken by Kristi Toliver), in a 98–65 win over the San Antonio Silver Stars. Following that performance she would win the 2013 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Williams had an injury-riddled season in 2014, after playing only 11 games she sat out the rest of the season with a knee injury and underwent surgery. In the 2015 season, Williams came back healthy and continued to flourish as a player, tying her career-high in scoring average and was voted as a WNBA all-star for the first time in her career. With

Skylar Diggins Skylar Kierra Diggins-Smith (born August 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Diggins was drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNB ...

out with a

torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during inju ...

after the first 9 games, Williams stepped in as the starting point guard, leading the Shock to a playoff berth with an 18–16 record which was enough for the number 3 seed in the Western Conference. The Shock were eliminated in a 2-game sweep by the Phoenix Mercury in the first round. Prior to the 2016 season, Williams was traded to the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...

along with the sixth pick in the 2016 WNBA draft in exchange for

Erin Phillips Erin Victoria Phillips (born 19 May 1985) is an Australian rules footballer for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition, a radio host, and a former professional basketball player. She played nine seasons in the Wo ...

, the fifth pick in the 2016 WNBA draft and a first round draft pick in the 2017 WNBA draft. However, Williams suffered a ruptured left

achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...

tendon while playing in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

during the off-season. She required surgery that would keep her out for the entire 2016 season. Without Williams on the roster, the Sparks would still go on to win the 2016 WNBA Championship after defeating the Minnesota Lynx 3–2 in Finals. Williams2 20171004

During the 2017 season after recovering from her achilles injury, Williams was playing off the bench. On May 13, 2017, Williams recorded 1 rebound and 1 assist in 12 minutes of play in her Sparks debut. On June 18, 2017, Williams scored a season-high 15 points in a 90–59 victory over the Mercury. On August 6, 2017, Williams suffered a left knee strain during a game against the Dallas Wings and was listed as day-to-day missing a few games. The Sparks finished with a 26–8 record and the number 2 seed in the league, receiving a double-bye to the semi-finals. Williams would make her return from injury in Game 2 of the semi-finals against the Mercury, recording 1 rebound in 5 minutes of play. The Sparks would advance to the Finals for the second season in a row after defeating the Mercury in a 3-game sweep, setting up a rematch with the Lynx. However, the Sparks would lose in five games. On June 24, 2018, Williams scored a season-high 25 points off the bench, along with 7 three-pointers in an 80–54 victory over the New York Liberty. Towards the end of the 2018 season, Williams would be the starting point guard for the Sparks coming into the playoffs. The Sparks finished as the number 6 seed with a 19–15 record. In the first round elimination game, the Sparks defeated the Minnesota Lynx 75–68 to advance. In the second round elimination game, the Sparks lost 96–64 to the

Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference ...

. On May 15, 2019, Williams re-signed with the Sparks. Williams played 23 games with 14 starts, she had been suspended for 10 games due to an alleged domestic violence incident. The Sparks finished 22–12 as the number 3 seed with a bye to second round. In the second round elimination game the Sparks defeated the defending champion Seattle Storm 92–69, in the semi-finals they were defeated by the

Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was established as the Orlando Miracle in ...

in a three-game sweep. In 2020, the season was delayed and shortened to 22 games in a bubble at

IMG Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...

due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. Williams played 21 games with 4 starts, averaging career-highs in field goal shooting and three-point shooting percentages. The Sparks finished 15–7 as the number 3 seed with a bye to the second round elimination game but would once again lose to the Connecticut Sun. In February 2021, Williams signed a one-year deal with the

WNBA statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, 33 , , 3 , , 20.3 , , .344 , , .325 , , .824 , , 2.4 , , 2.1 , , 1.6 , , 0.3 , , 1.4 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 27 , , 6 , , 22.7 , , .397 , , .381 , , .900 , , 2.4 , , 1.8 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 1.4 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 2 , , 15.8, , .406, , .222, , .933, , 1.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.3 , , 0.1 , , 1.3 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015 , style="text-align:left;",

, 29 , , 20 , , 28.0, , .352 , , .346 , , .850, , 3.4 , , 2.6 , , 1.4 , , 0.5 , , 1.6 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

, 23 , , 6 , , 17.7, , .321 , , .270 , , .864 , , 1.4 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 0.1 , , 1.1 , , 6.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 3 , , 16.5, , .407 , , .375 , , .800 , , 1.4 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , 0.0 , , 0.4 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 23 , , 14, , 25.8, , .384 , , .391 , , .880 , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , 1.1 , , 0.3 , , 1.2 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 21 , , 4 , , 21.1 , , .435 , , .422 , , .889 , , 1.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , 0.3 , , 0.9 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

, style="text-align:left;",

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, 32 , , 32 , , 26.0 , , .444 , , .417 , , .920 , , 2.6 , , 1.6 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 0.7 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

^† , style="text-align:left;",

, 21 , , 0 , , 18.0 , , .381 , , .366 , , .762 , , 2.0 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 0.1 , , 0.3 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 10 years, 3 teams , 253 , , 90 , , 21.6 , , .385 , , .367 , , .862 , , 2.2 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.3 , , 1.0 , , 10.5

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2015 , style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 0 , , 15.6 , , .167 , , .000 , , .000 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 0 , , 5.2 , , .267 , , .375 , , .667 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 0.2 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 24.9 , , .381 , , .250 , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , 0.5 , , 1.5 , , 1.0 , , 1.5 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 4 , , 23.9 , , .282 , , .227 , , .250 , , 3.0 , , 0.8 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 1 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .250 , , .000 , , .000 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 27.4 , , .551 , , .345 , , 1.000 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 0.6 , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

^† , style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 0 , , 20.3 , , .348 , , .358 , , 1.000 , , 2.7 , , 1.0 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 0.4 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 7 years, 3 teams , 30 , , 11 , , 18.2 , , .374 , , .313 , , .789 , , 1.8 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 0.5 , , 6.9

Overseas career

During the 2012-13 off-season, Williams played for

Good Angels Košice Good Angels Košice, since 2018 playing as Young Angels Košice is a women's basketball team based in Košice that plays in Slovakia's domestic league and FIBA Europe’s EuroLeague Women. The team bears the name of a non-profit charitable organ ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

and later in the off-season played for Hapoel Rishon Lezion in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

. During the 2013-14 off-season, Williams played for Virtus Eirene Ragusa in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. In the 2015-16 off-season, Williams played in

for the Al Nasr Sports Club, where she suffered an achilles injury that kept her from playing in the 2016 WNBA season. In July 2017, Williams signed with

Reyer Venezia S.S.P. Reyer Venezia Mestre, commonly known as Reyer Venezia or simply Reyer, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Venice, Veneto. The club currently plays in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA), the highest tier of basketball in ...

for the 2017-18 off-season.

Turkey

In 2019, Williams signed with Elazığ İl Özel İdarespor of the Turkish league for the 2019-20 off-season. In July 2020, Williams signed with

OGM Ormanspor OGM Ormanspor is a Turkish professional basketball club based in Ankara. Currently, the team plays in the Turkish Basketball First League. Established in 1971, the team played in the lower divisions of Turkish basketball for decades. In 2019, Orma ...

of the Turkish league for the 2020-21 off-season. On 21 May 2021, she signed a one-year contract with

Galatasaray Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its association football department, the club also consists of various other de ...

Personal life

Williams was arrested on April 30, 2019 in

Pahokee, Florida Pahokee is a city located on the shore of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 5,649 in the 2010 census. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, 57% of the residents of Pahokee were African American and 33% ...

for assaulting her ex-girlfriend. According to the arrest report, Williams repeatedly struck Alkeria Davis in the head and pulled her hair after she forced her way into the home. Police spent 10 minutes trying to break up the fight that took place in December. Authorities said Williams grabbed a firearm, placed it on the trunk and pointed it at one man, saying "you'll get all 18" before speeding off, after the fight was broken up. On July 16, 2019, Williams was suspended by the WNBA for 10 games stemming from the incident.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Riquna 1990 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college women's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Italy American expatriate basketball people in Slovakia American expatriate basketball people in the United Arab Emirates American women's basketball players Basketball players from Florida Las Vegas Aces players LGBT basketball players LGBT people from Florida Lesbian sportswomen Los Angeles Sparks players Miami Hurricanes women's basketball players Pahokee High School alumni People from Pahokee, Florida Point guards Shooting guards Sportspeople from the Miami metropolitan area Tulsa Shock draft picks Tulsa Shock players Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars Galatasaray S.K. (women's basketball) players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 21st-century African-American women