Former EMCC women’s basketball teammates to continue careers at four-year level

SCOOBA – Former East Mississippi Community College women's basketball teammates DJ Williams and Sadie Williams have signed to continue their respective playing careers at Stillman College and Mississippi Valley State University.

DJ Williams, a Columbus product, started 39 career games for EMCC's Lady Lions, totaling 255 career points, 169 assists, 141 rebounds and 60 steals. This past year during an injury-plagued season for first-year EMCC head women's basketball coach Isaiah Butler's squad, Williams averaged 4.1 points, a career-high 3.6 rebounds, and a team-leading 2.8 assists per game. As a freshman playing for current EMCC Director of Athletics Sharon Thompson, Williams posted career-best averages in points (7.1 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg) in addition to averaging nearly three rebounds per contest in 2021-22.

"DJ fought through adversity this past season after suffering a severe high ankle sprain in December and worked her way back into the starting lineup," EMCC's Butler said. "She brings tons of energy to the court, and her leadership is hard to come by. Stillman College is getting a great person and player."

During her prep career playing for head coach Yvonne Hairston at Columbus High School, Williams helped lead the Lady Falcons to their school-first MHSAA Class 5A State Championship in 2019-20. The two-time honorable mention All-State performer was also selected to play in the 2020 Mississippi North/South All-Star Game.

Originally hailing from Pontiac, Michigan, the well-traveled Sadie Williams will be playing for her fourth different college team in as many years after previously starring for East Ascension High School in Gonzales, Louisiana. This past season as an 18-game starter for East Mississippi, Williams ranked second on the team in both rebounding (5.2 rpg) and assists (2.4 apg), while finishing the 2022-23 season averaging a career-best 7.8 points per game as the Lady Lions' fourth-leading scorer.

"Sadie is a great leader on the court who gives whatever is needed to win," EMCC's Butler noted. "She transferred into our program and stepped right into a leadership role with her work, talent and personality. She's a real winner who hasn't yet reached her full potential."

Prior to transferring to EMCC, Williams was an 11-game starter at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. She averaged 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest for the Lady Bulldogs during the 2021-22 campaign.

For her two seasons of junior college competition in the MACCC, Williams combined to total 249 career points (6.1 ppg) and 184 rebounds (4.5 rpg) while starting 29 times in 41 career games played.

Williams' collegiate career began at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM), where she saw limited action in only eight games in 2020-21 as a true freshman coming out of the Louisiana high school ranks.

At East Ascension, Williams was a three-year starting guard who was a member of the Lady Spartans' 2017-18 LHSAA Class 5A state championship team as a sophomore. She then earned All-Metro, All-District 5-5A and All-Parish first-team honors after averaging 17 points per contest during her senior season.