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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player who is a free agent. 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 NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Coll ...

of the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

, 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 to ...

. 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 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 Wooden Award program consists of the men's and women's player of the year awards, the Legends of Coaching Award, and rec ...

, 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 overall pick, second round of the

2012 WNBA draft The 2012 WNBA draft was the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 16, 2012, at the ESPN studios in Bristol, Connecticut. The first round ...

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; ...

. 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 Elizabeth Folake "Liz" Cambage ( ; born 18 August 1991) is a British-born Australian professional basketball player for the Sichuan Yuanda of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association. She won the Women's National Basketball League in 2011 and ...

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 Kristi Renee Toliver (born January 27, 1987) is an American-Slovak professional basketball coach and former player who is the associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). During her rookie se ...

), in a 98–65 win over the

San Antonio Silver Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before th ...

. 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 (born August 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Diggins was drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft. I ...

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 in ...

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 The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...

in the first round. Prior to the 2016 season, Williams was traded to the

Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles 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 of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...

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 basketball player and former Australian rules football player. She played nine seasons in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for five different teams and is a two-time ...

, 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 () was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. The central character in Homer's ''Iliad'', he was the son of the Nereids, Nereid Thetis and Peleus, ...

tendon while playing in

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

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 The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team won the WNBA ...

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 The Dallas Wings are an American professional basketball team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Wings compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team is owned by a group ...

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 The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...

. 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 of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was ...

. 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 Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes r ...

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 The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team was founded by Gi ...

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. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...

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 University-preparatory school, preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. The organization is set across over 600 acres (243 ha) and features programs consisting of sport ca ...

due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. 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

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 of the Western Conference. The team plays its home game ...

WNBA statistics

Regular season

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2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

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Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...

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2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

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

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

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

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Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

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2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

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2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

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Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

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2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

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Playoffs

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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, Slovakia that plays in Slovakia's domestic league and FIBA Europe’s EuroLeague Women. The team bears the name of a non-profit charitab ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

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

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

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

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. 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 The 2016 WNBA season was the 20th season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Its regular season began on May 14 when the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings and concluded on September 18, with a Seattle Storm defeat of the Ch ...

. 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 i ...

for the 2017-18 off-season.

Turkey

In 2019, Williams signed with

Elazığ İl Özel İdarespor Elazığ İl Özel İdaresi Spor Kulübü is a Turkish women's basketball club based in Elazığ, Turkey. The club was founded in 2010 and currently competing in the Turkish Super League and EuroCup Women. History 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''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...

Personal life

Legal issues

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. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The population was 5,524 in the 2020 census. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, ...

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. On July 25, 2023, Williams was arrested in Las Vegas on domestic violence and strangulation charges. She was subsequently barred from participating in team activities. In response to the arrest, The Aces issued a statement saying that she is “...precluded from participating in team activities. We condemn domestic violence of any kind. Our thoughts are with the parties involved in this situation.”

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Riquna 1990 births Living people 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 American lesbian sportswomen Las Vegas Aces players LGBTQ basketball players LGBTQ people from Florida Los Angeles Sparks players Miami Hurricanes women's basketball players Pahokee High School alumni People from Pahokee, Florida Basketball players from Palm Beach County, Florida Point guards Shooting guards Tulsa Shock draft picks Tulsa Shock players WNBA All-Stars Galatasaray S.K. (women's basketball) players 21st-century African-American sportswomen OGM Ormanspor (women) players 21st-century American sportswomen