Last Sunday, the LSU Tigers defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 securing their first ever basketball national championship.
With the performances of Angel Reese, Alexis Morris and a 21-point first half from Jasmine Carson, the Tigers prevailed.
However, there was one player on the team who not only had a good game on Sunday but overall played well throughout the entire tournament and that was LaDazhia Williams. The 6-foot-4 senior from Bradenton, Florida, averaged around 10 points and six rebounds while shooting 55% from the field on the season, turned it up versus the Hawkeyes.
Williams had 20 points, five rebounds and three steals against Iowa as she was the third-leading scorer that game. It’s easy not to notice after the performance Carson had in the first half and Morris had in the second, but Williams deserves some credit for her performance.
This isn’t the first time either as she had a season-high 24 points versus second-seeded Utah in a three-point win where her scoring was much needed. She was a consistent force throughout the NCAA Tournament for LSU. That also included 16 points and seven rebounds against No. 1 seed Virginia Tech in the final four in a close 79-72 victory.
Her consistent footwork in the paint along with her relentless finishing gave LSU another excellent post-game to go with Reese. She also has an ability to stretch the floor as she can take and make the mid-range jump shot around the free throw line.
It forces the defense to come out and unclog the paint, allowing more space for Angel Reese or cutting on the baseline. It seems like a small aspect of her game to take a free throw line jumper, but it makes her more dangerous to guard.
She also brings more size and rebounding to the table as she is second on the team. On the defensive end, even though she isn’t the biggest shot blocker, her size alone creates an intimidating presence for opposing teams that make them think twice before putting a shot up in the paint.
Williams kept LSU in many games this season. Whether it was due to someone being in foul trouble, or LSU going through a scoring drought, she was the one to keep them in it until the team got it together. Her veteran leadership from the fifth-year senior brought a sense of ease and took away any panic when things weren’t clicking for the team.
Although her stats on the season don’t jump off the page, she was by no question one of the most important players on the team. She played a big role in helping LSU secure its first women’s basketball national championship and her impact should not go unnoticed.
