Riquna Williams morphs from scorer to defender with Aces

It’s not that Riquna Williams wasn’t susceptible of being 1 of the champion perimeter defenders successful the WNBA. It’s that she wasn’t asked to bash truthful during the archetypal 9 years of her WNBA career.

“To beryllium challenged and measurement up to the sheet and really spot myself bash it, I really privation to bash it more,” said Williams, 1 of the league’s astir combustible scorers. “It’s a large feeling to cognize that I’m called upon to defender the champion violative player, guard-wise.”

Williams has adapted to a caller relation during her archetypal play with the Aces. It’s 1 that calls for her to support immoderate of the league’s champion perimeter players connected a nightly basis. Notable assignments person included All-Stars similar Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd and Ariel Atkins.

It’s a relation she’s travel to relish connected a squad that sports the second-best antiaircraft standing successful the WNBA.

“I’ve had to wholly alteration my mindset from knowing that I’m susceptible of being a ascendant scorer to knowing that each night, I’m not needed to get 15, 20 points,” said the 31-year-old, who signed with the Aces during the offseason. “I’m much than conscionable a scorer.”

Williams explained that she hadn’t been challenged to support similar that during a vocation that began successful 2012. She was selected successful the 2nd circular of the WNBA draught by the Tulsa Shock — present the Dallas Wings — aft a standout vocation successful assemblage astatine Miami, but proved alternatively rapidly that she could nutrient successful the pros.

She averaged 10.5 points arsenic a rookie and exploded for 51 during a crippled successful 2013 against the Aces’ franchise. Her speedy shooting release, choky grip and fearless demeanor helped her go 1 of the league’s champion seat scorers.

But a genu wounded to Angel McCoughtry this play thrust her into a starting lineup that featured plentifulness of scoring from LizCambage, A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. “After a fewer games, it was wide that she was moving her ass disconnected connected defense,” Aces manager Bill Laimbeer said.

With that successful mind, the coaching unit began tasking Williams with checking the apical perimeter scorer connected opposing teams. Young volition besides walk clip connected apical guards and wings, but those assignments mostly beryllium to Williams.

In 2 victories implicit the Seattle Storm, Loyd combined to sprout 11 of 35 from the field. In 2 victories implicit the Dallas Wings, Ogunbowale combined to sprout 6 of 31. Those benignant of outings aren’t atypical for the players that Williams has guarded this season.

She helped clasp Atlanta Dream All-Star defender Courtney Williams to six points Thursday connected 3-of-11 shooting.

“(She) came successful with that mindset. She came successful and benignant of included that and wanted that to beryllium portion of her game,” said Aces adjunct Tanisha Wright. “She truly enactment immoderate attraction to that. Some focus. She’s truly intentional connected the antiaircraft extremity astir what she’s doing.”

Williams said the astir important portion astir preparing for an opposing subordinate is knowing their tendencies. She’ll ticker movie from erstwhile matchups to survey however she guarded that subordinate individually and what squad tactics the Aces employed. At 5 feet, 7 inches, Williams is sturdy and quick, susceptible of mirroring and anticipating her opponents’ movements.

She’ll besides works aboriginal successful possessions to contradict her hostile the shot oregon unit her to drawback it successful spots that aren’t favorable. Offensively, she’s inactive averaging 8.8 points per crippled and shooting 38.7 percent from 3-point scope to abstraction the level for her teammates.

“If I could exhaust immoderate defender is my situation that night, that’s my biggest thing,” she said. “If I tin support them beneath their average, I consciousness bully going location — particularly if we win.”

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.