ALL-ARKANSAS PREPS GIRLS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Williams shows skills at home and abroad

In addition to leading Central Arkansas Christian this season, Christyn Williams also averaged 12.7 points per game while representing the United States at the Under-17 World Championships in Spain last summer.
In addition to leading Central Arkansas Christian this season, Christyn Williams also averaged 12.7 points per game while representing the United States at the Under-17 World Championships in Spain last summer.

Basketball and traveling just seem to go together for Christyn Williams.

Last year, Williams and her 17-and-under USA national team teammates played an exhibition game in France and in a tournament in Spain. This year, Williams’ travel plans include possible trips to China in May and to Italy in July.

And that’s just the international excursions. Her summer league team has plans to play in various locations across the country on almost every weekend.

“I like to travel, and I love basketball,” Williams said. “It’s the best of both worlds.”

Williams, who is being recruited by almost every major college program in the country and averaged 26.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for Central Arkansas Christian this season, is the All-Arkansas Preps Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

“She’s probably the most prolific player we’ve ever had,” CAC Coach Steve Quattlebaum said. “And we’ve had some good ones.”

[FULL LIST: All-Arkansas Prep teams]

Williams is also one of the most well-traveled players in the state. She spent more than two weeks in Europe last summer representing the U.S.in the world basketball championships.

“Every team we played was very fundamentally sound,” Williams said. “But it was so different. We could literally say our plays out loud and the other team would have no idea what we were saying. And there was no trashtalking because no one could understand anybody else.”

Except for the exhibition game in France, Williams started every game for the national team. She averaged 12.7 points a game, the second-highest on the team.

Williams and her teammates lost to Australia in the semifinals and had to settle for a bronze medal.

“I haven’t won anything yet,” Williams said. “We made it to the state championship game last year and lost in the finals. This year we didn’t even get that far. And I really wanted the gold in Spain. We had something to prove, and it was disappointing we didn’t win it.”

CAC finished 29-5 this season but lost two games while Williams was out with an injured shoulder. She produced 45 percent of the Lady Mustangs’ offense despite being the focal point of every opposing team.

“We were pretty good around her this season, but still, every night we needed her to play well for us to do well,” Quattlebaum said. “That’s a lot of pressure on a 16-year-old.”

He said Williams has handled every situation “remarkably well.”

“Nothing really fazes her,” Quattlebaum said. “Nothing gets her rattled. She will get a little frustrated sometimes but unless you know her, you can’t really tell it.”

That frustration led to her injury. In a regional semifinal game against eStem, Williams suffered an injury will diving for a loose ball in the closing seconds of the first half.

“I was having a terrible game, and when I’m not playing well offensively, I try to make up for it defensively,” Williams said. “It was dumb on my part to go for the ball.”

“It was a ball that we really didn’t even need,” Quattlebaum said. “But I can’t fault her for going after a loose ball. Most of the time you want players to do that.”

Williams has narrowed her college choice to five programs — Baylor, Tennessee, Notre Dame, UCLA and Connecticut.

Before she has to make that choice, Williams has two more major trips to complete. She hopes to represent the U.S. in a three-on-three tournament in China next month and to be on the 19-under national team when it competes in Italy.

“I’m going to put my passport to good use,” Williams said.

“She’s the most motivated kid I’ve ever seen,” Quattlebaum said. “She has a plan, and she’s focused on that plan. She knows what she wants, and she’s going to outwork everybody to get what she wants.”

At a glance

SCHOOL Central Arkansas Christian

CLASS Junior

HEIGHT 5-11

POSITION Guard

STATISTICS Averaged 26.0 points and 8.7 rebounds. She hit 250 of 428 shots

(58.4 percent), 74 of 197 three-pointers

(37.6 percent) and 148 of 203 free-throw attempts (72.9 percent).

NOTEWORTHY Born May 20, 2000. ... The daughter of Sherman and Cheryl Williams ... The youngest of six children. ... A member of the Honor Society, Beta Club and Mu Alpha Theta. ... All-Arkansas Preps Girls Sophomore of the Year in 2016. ... Played on the 17-Under U.S. national team last summer.

CHRISTYN WILLIAMS Central Arkansas Christian

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