Courtney Williams became a journeyman wife. Now she's a WNBA Finals hero for the Lynx

NEW YORK – As she left the Barclays Center court following her walk-off interview after the Minnesota Lynx pulled off a shocking upset of the New York Liberty, Courtney Williams stopped in front of her team bench to greet Lynx fans and to provide fans.

“I’m here,” she screamed. “I am here.”

It was a circuitous path that led Williams here: to the Lynx, to point guard and to savior of the WNBA Finals. She had a reputation for shooting first, second and third down defense and had to sign a replacement contract in Connecticut two years ago to stay in the league. And there she was Thursday night in New York as the heart and soul of Minnesota's historic comeback on the WNBA's biggest stage.

Williams made the biggest play of the night. Her 4-point play with 5.5 seconds left in regulation after missing a 3 earlier in possession gave the Lynx their first lead of the game. The play helped Minnesota en route to its 95-93 overtime win in Game 1, becoming the first team in 184 tries to win in the postseason after trailing by at least 15 points in the final five minutes of regulation.

What a shot from COURTNEY WILLIAMS 😱 pic.twitter.com/HDuQAy9B9I

– ESPN (@espn) October 11, 2024

“We have so many great 3-point shooters and the fact that these girls are out here trying to get me the ball, I mean I could cry,” Williams said. “This is amazing. I love it.”

Williams was not one of the most prominent signings in the 2024 offseason. After spending the previous three seasons on three different teams, including a messy exit from Atlanta, she emerged as a journeyman. There were real doubts as to whether a year as a point guard in Chicago qualified her to fill that role as a contender, especially with Minnesota struggling to fill that spot following the retirement of Lindsay Whalen.

But the personality match between Williams and the rest of the Lynx flowed smoothly, allowing for one of the most productive seasons of her career. She averaged 7.5 assists per 40 minutes during the regular season and was one of the league's two best mid-range shooters alongside MVP A'ja Wilson. More importantly, it gave Minnesota an edge it had been missing since its Hall of Fame core left in 2010.

“If you’re around Courtney, she lights up a room when she walks in,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “She’s easygoing. She is who she is and it's direct and authentic and all those things. And so it literally fits anywhere.”

Williams came to the Lynx knowing she had to become a distribution player, but she maintained the touchdown that made her a 2021 All-Star before arriving in Minnesota. Their season-high 23 points came at the perfect time for the Lynx.

“Courtney realized she needed to be more aggressive,” Reeve said. “Her team needed her to be aggressive and score the basketball. We needed help.”

The Liberty should be the more experienced team in this series considering the core of their lineup played together in the Finals a year ago. But Williams was here too. Her trips to the Finals with the Connecticut Sun in 2019 and 2022 prepared her for what this moment would bring and what it would take to survive the dramatic swings of postseason basketball.

Williams recalled her first trip to the championship round early Thursday and laughed about how excited she was when the Sun won their semifinal series.

“I was a kid, I didn’t even know what to expect,” Williams said. “I'm going crazy like we don't have a completely different round. It's crazy now because when I look back now I'm like, “Girl, you should have stuck it out, you all had a whole different series.”

Five years later? “I feel so different,” Williams said. “I’m 30 now so I’m definitely ready for the moment. I look forward to it. I understand what's important. So it definitely feels different. I think I’m much more prepared.”

DEFENSE ➡️ OFFENSE. pic.twitter.com/AClXEjHli7

– Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) October 11, 2024

She had the mental strength and resilience to shake off a difficult first half in which she had little chance on offense and allowed New York's Leonie Fiebich to break through with several open three-pointers. Their father, Don, who has developed a following of his own as the most boisterous fan of the Lynx traveling group, said even he was quiet in the first half, but he knew they would make noise later.

His daughter made that statement true and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. She added five more in overtime and provided a transition assist to Alanna Smith – all three plays extending Minnesota's lead to four to thwart New York's final comeback attempt.

And after the Lynx finally made one final stop on the Liberty to claim the victory, Williams held court with her family and friends, who had barely sat down since halftime. Williams had jokingly been annoyed earlier in the day when a team official told her how much the seats cost, but she insisted they would be available anyway. They FaceTimed with the fans in Minnesota and, after a grueling 48 hours, celebrated an unlikely away win in the final with everything they had left in the tank.

The mistakes of the previous 45 minutes were all washed away as necessary evils to get to the glorious conclusion. Whatever path led Williams to Minnesota, it got her to the place she was meant to be, playing for perhaps the most successful franchise in league history after two more wins.

“I say this all the time, and I don’t say this jokingly: These people that I’m with, we believe in each other so much,” Williams said. “It’s crazy, man. I’m happy to be here.”

Williams likes to be where her feet are. On Thursday, she found herself on the right wing of the 3-point line and made the biggest shot of her career and the latest indication that she has found her home in the WNBA.

Every player in the league dreams of playing in the finals and making an impact. Courtney Williams is here and she's taking full advantage of this opportunity.

(Photo by Courtney Williams: David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)