Florida senior Ronni Williams became the 18th different Gator selected in the WNBA Draft when the Indiana Fever made the forward the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 Draft held Thursday evening.
Williams, who was the 10th pick in the second round, is the first Gator selected in the WNBA Draft since Jennifer George was picked in the third round by Indiana in 2013.
As the 22nd overall selection, Williams is the highest Gator picked in the WNBA Draft since Vanessa Hayden was the seventh overall selection by the Minnesota Lynx in 2004.
She wraps up her bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications – Media & Society at the end of this month and then heads to the team’s training camp.
Williams was one of eight players from the Southeastern Conference selected on Thursday.
WATCH the moment Ronni finds out she is officially drafted in the WNBA! – http://youtu.be/CjjbNF_hmaw
Ronni Williams complete Gator Bio – http://bit.ly/2oAjcrZ
Florida’s History in Professional U.S. Basketball Drafts
- With Williams’ selection on Thursday, a total of 18 different Gators have been selected in the WNBA Draft, with three of those also selected by the non-defunct ABL prior to the WNBA.
- Three Gators have been a WNBA first-round pick: DeLisha Milton, Murriel Page and Vanessa Hayden
- The last time a Gator was selected in the WNBA Draft was in 2013, when the Indiana Fever made Jennifer George a third-round selection.
Gators in the WNBA
A total of 12 Gators have appeared in a WNBA game with only one still active. Aneika Henry went undrafted following her 2009 Gator senior season. She honed her skills overseas and returned to the United States where she made the Atlanta Dream’s roster in 2012. Henry is currently a member of the Connecticut Sun.
- Vanessa Hayden, Minnesota 2004-08; Los Angeles 2009
- Tammy Jackson, Houston 1997-2002
- Merlakia Jones, Cleveland 1997-2003; Detroit 2004
- Aneika Henry, Atlanta 2012-16; Connecticut 2016-present
- Brandi McCain, Cleveland 2002
- DeLisha Milton-Jones, Los Angeles 1999-2004; Washington 2005-07; LA 2008-12, San Antonio & New York 2013; New York & Atlanta 2014-15
- Murriel Page, Washington 1998-2005; Los Angeles 2006-08
- Bridget Pettis, Phoenix 1997-01; Indiana 2002-03, Phoenix 2006; Phoenix Assistant Coach 2007-11; Los Angeles Assistant Coach 2013; Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings Assistant Coach 2014-present
- Tamara Stocks, Washington 2001
- Tiffany Travis, Charlotte 2000-01
- Tonya Washington, Washington 2000-03; Seattle 2003
- Sophia Witherspoon, New York 1997-99; Portland 2000-01; Los Angeles 2002-03
| Gators Selected in Professional U.S. Drafts | |||||
| Gator | Year | Team | Round | Overall | |
| Bridget Pettis | 1996 | Denver (ABL) | – | alternate | |
| Tammy Jackson | 1996 | Hartford (ABL) | 8 | 60 | |
| DeLisha Milton | 1997 | Portland (ABL) | 1 | 2 | |
| Bridget Pettis | 1997 | Phoenix Mercury | E* | – | |
| Sophia Witherspoon | 1997 | New York Liberty | 2 | 11 | |
| Merlakia Jones | 1997 | Cleveland Rockers | 2 | 13 | |
| Tammy Jackson | 1997 | Houston Comets | 2 | 16 | |
| Murriel Page | 1998 | Washington Mystics | 1 | 3 | |
| DeLisha Milton | 1999 | Los Angeles Sparks | 1 | 4 | |
| Tonya Washington | 2000 | Washington Mystics | 2 | 18 | |
| Tiffany Travis | 2000 | Charlotte Sting | 2 | 27 | |
| Tamara Stocks | 2001 | Washington Mystics | 2 | 25 | |
| Tombi Bell | 2001 | Minnesota Lynx | 3 | 39 | |
| Brandi McCain | 2002 | Cleveland Rockers | 2 | 24 | |
| Monique Cardenas | 2002 | Portland Fire | 4 | 53 | |
| Vanessa Hayden | 2004 | Minnesota Lynx | 1 | 7 | |
| Tashia Morehead | 2005 | Washington Mystics | 3 | 32 | |
| Dalila Eshe | 2006 | Seattle Storm | 2 | 25 | |
| Sha Brooks | 2009 | Phoenix Mercury | 3 | 31 | |
| Jennifer George | 2013 | Indiana Fever | 3 | 31 | |
| RONNI WILLIAMS | 2017 | Indiana Fever | 2 | 22 | |
| E* – Elite Draft. (The 1997 WNBA Draft was the first in history of the league, and teams selected players in three different stages. On Jan. 22, 1997, the league assigned a total of 16 players – two to each team – in no particular order. On Feb. 27, 1997, the WNBA held its Elite Draft, where two additional players were assigned to each team, again in no particular order.) | |||||
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