INDIANAPOLIS — Macee Williams didn't want to throw a big party. What if her name wasn't called during Monday night's WNBA Draft?
"Beginning of this week I asked my mom if she just wanted to do something small," Williams said. "I didn't wanna throw a big party and my name wouldn't be called and it would be super awkward."
Instead, it turned out to be one of the biggest nights of Williams' life. The former IUPUI forward/center was drafted 32nd overall by the Phoenix Mercury.
"I was really focused on the TV. I was just waiting for my name to be called," Williams recalled. "All of a sudden my name said 'Macee Williams,' and everyone — my whole family that was there — we all just started screaming, hugging. There were some tears."
Happy tears for the Veedersburg, Indiana native who spent the last five years dominating at IUPUI. Williams is the program's all-time leader in scoring and rebounds and was named the Horizon League Player of the Year four times. Now, she's also the first player in school history to be drafted to the WNBA. That's something she takes a lot of pride in.
"Just playing there for five years, I feel like IUPUI was a school that was always overlooked," Williams said. "Just being able to make some noise because like I said, we're the type of school that's always being overlooked just because we're a mid-major. Everyone's like, 'who is IUPUI? Where is IUPUI from?'"
Williams is now heading out west for training camp. She’ll be competing alongside big names like the future Hall of Famer Diana Taurasi and Skylar Diggins-Smith. She's hoping to carve out a role on the 12-woman roster.
"I'm just excited to be able to go on this team, go to the training camp, and just learn so much from all the OGs," Williams said. "I just hope it's an eye opener to all the little girls, or even the boys, back in my small community. It doesn’t matter where you go, it doesn't matter where you play at. The sky is the limit."
What a journey it's been for Williams. From the small town of Veedersburg, Indiana, to IUPUI to the WNBA.
