Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams will graduate with a Master's Degree in Global Health from Arizona State University next week, according to a Wednesday tweet from Chicago Tribune Sky beat writer Julia Poe.
Her degree is "centered around cultural anthropology and evolutionary medicine to address health in a variety of ways," ASU wrote in a December article. Williams, whose parents are both in the medical field, earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Duke before being selected by the Connecticut Sun in the 2015 WNBA Draft. Her jersey was retired by the Blue Devils in 2016 after a star-studded four-year career that saw her earn four First-Team All-ACC, ACC Defensive Player of the Year and ACC All-Defensive Team selections.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association had announced a partnership with Arizona State as its exclusive educational partner in 2018. The partnership allowed WNBPA members access to scholarships, enrollment coaches, academic advisors and more to free up the ability to explore graduate school opportunities. The ASU WNBPA Education Program provides a 15% tuition scholarship to the association's members and a family member, according to its website. Indiana's Kelley School of Business partnered with the Player's Association to offer players a chance to earn an online MBA, among a variety of business master's degrees, in 2023.
The former Blue Devil big has shown her excellence goes far beyond the court with a few key appearances this month. Along with her appearance in the preliminary meeting for a new WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, Williams testified in a Monday hearing regarding equality in Illinois state public facility funding for men's and women's sports. Her ability to be a vocal and active leader on and off the court will make her an incredibly valued member of the Sky next season.
Williams has been a role model to her brother, Mark, who has spent the last three NBA seasons with the Charlotte Hornets. Even though they committed to Duke nearly a decade apart, both found the same success on the defensive end during their time in the blue and white. Mark would win the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year and average an astounding 2.8 blocks per game in 2022 before being selected by Charlotte in the first round of that year's NBA draft. He spoke highly of his sister in his introductory press conference with the Hornets, who was with him when he heard his name called at the No. 15 spot.
“She’s everything to me," Mark Williams said, via On3 Sports Staff Writer Wade Peery. "She’s a great resource for me. Throughout the whole pre-draft process, (she was) someone I could always ask questions. Always gave me some advice.
"(She) always told me, ‘Have fun with it. It’s still basketball at the end of the day.' So, to have somebody that I can that I can reach out to anytime about anything is pretty nice."