For the first time since 2002, an HBCU player has been drafted by the WNBA as Jackson State center Ameshya Williams-Holliday was selected with the 25th overall pick in the third round by the Indiana Fever.
She is now the sixth HBCU alum to ever be taken in the WNBA Draft and just the second SWAC player to ever be drafted.
ESPN projected Holliday to be the second pick of the third round.
Welcome to Indiana, @_meshya4!#FeverDraft | @AnthemBCBS pic.twitter.com/zsUrLpYAtd
— Indiana Fever
(@IndianaFever) April 12, 2022
In her three years with Jackson State, the Mississippi native was selected to the All-SWAC and All-SWAC Defensive teams while also being named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year.
This past season, Williams-Holliday led Jackson State to a 23-7 record, winning their second straight SWAC tournament championship. She was named SWAC Player of the Year and SWAC Defensive Player of the Year.
Jackson State went on to the NCAA tournament as the 14-seed and nearly become the first team with that seeding to win a game in the tourney but fell short to LSU.
Last season, the Indiana Fever struggled finishing with the worst record in the WNBA at 6-26. In this year’s draft, they had seven selection with Williams-Holliday being its sixth.
Also featured on the Fever is fellow Bulldogs Teaira McCowa, who was briefly a teammate with Williams-Holliday at Mississippi State.
