From Atlanta to Alaska to Thunder Bay: Jylisa Williams road to the OUA record books

By: Julian Mei

Lakehead women's basketball star Jylisa Williams journey to become OUA's single-season and single-game scoring record holder required a trip down the proverbial long and winding road.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Ga., Williams has gone from playing NCAA basketball in her hometown at Georgia State University, to stationed in Alaska as a member of the United States military, to Olds College in Alberta, before landing in Thunder Bay, Ont. with the Lakehead Thunderwolves.

For Williams, before there was basketball there was soccer. Up until seventh grade she was more interested in working on her corner kicks than her jump shot, but when she arrived at middle school the level of soccer she wanted to play wasn't offered. It was around that time Williams took a more serious interest in basketball.

It wasn't until high school, though, that she truly began to take the game seriously.

"I had a very good high school coach (Dennis Watkins) who was known for having his team at the top of the state every year," said Williams. "I went from not even knowing how to shoot a basketball, and he completely changed my form. He basically fed me step-by-step like I was a baby and it helped me in a great way. Coming into my senior year he told me that 'only you can stop you' and I could probably play in college and overseas after that."

In 2007-08, her final year of high school, Williams led her team to a state championship and was named Metro Atlanta player of the year. She became the first player at her school to ever score more than 15 points a game, averaging 18 points, four steals, and 3.6 assists. Her impressive senior year garnered attention from several schools including LSU, Alabama, and Virginia Commonwealth, among others.

Following her rookie season, though, Williams hit a rocky patch in her athletic career. She was suspended for the first part of Georgia State's season and was dismissed from the team in January after playing nine games in the 2009-10 season.

Losing focus on academics and athletics, Williams elected to join the U.S. military and was eventually sent to a posting in Alaska.

"When my sergeant told me I was being stationed in Alaska I was like 'wow.' Coming from the south it was a major change, but it was a great experience. It's really beautiful up there and I guess it prepared me for the cold weather (in Thunder Bay)."

It was a tough adjustment to make, but Williams has only positive things to say about the experience.

"I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason and I'm so grateful for everything I've accomplished so far. I really owe a lot of it to the military. Just discipline-wise, it made me grow up really fast and put my head on right, which is what I needed."

When she joined the military Williams genuinely thought it was the end of her basketball career, but even the cold Alaska winters couldn't put out the fire she had to play the game.

With three years of eligibility left, Williams enrolled at Olds College in Olds, Alta., about halfway between Calgary and Red Deer.

"The college was just to get my feet back in basketball. Going into the military I didn't think I was going to come back to basketball, but after I got out I really missed playing. The opportunity to play in Canada and travel (in the country) was a plus for me."

Even though she had been away from the game for two years, Williams didn't miss a beat when she got back on the court for Olds College.

In the 2012-13 season, she set an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) record when she scored 52 points in a single game, and went on to lead the league in scoring with 25.2 points per game and steals with 4.42 per game, while finishing third in the league in rebounds (9.58) and fifth in assists (3.84).

It wasn't just her individual play that flourished, with Williams in its lineup, Olds went on to win the school's first ever conference championship and took home a bronze medal at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national championship. It was the first time the small Alberta school won a national medal, and Williams was named to the tournament all-star team, as well as winning the CCAA Player of the Year Award.

Proving that she hadn't lost her touch on the court, Williams began exploring other opportunities that would better suit her goals both athletically and academically and elected to transfer to a Canadian university for the 2013-14 season.

With plenty of schools across the country eager to add her to their roster, Williams made a decision that likely surprised some people by choosing Lakehead.

"(Lakehead) was the best fit because it was a smaller school and presented her with the best opportunity to graduate on time," said Lakehead head coach Jon Kreiner.

Now in her second season at Lakehead, and in her final year of athletic eligibility, Williams has no regrets about the decision she made.

"Thunder Bay is amazing. It's actually one of the closest communities I've ever had a chance to play for. The community and warm feeling is great. The atmosphere at games is unbelievable," she said. "I wanted to go to a smaller university because I like to know my professors and ask questions and not just be a number – I'd rather be a student."

(Photo: Martin Bazyl)

Her time in the conference has been short, but Williams has certainly made it count. On Feb. 6 in a road game against the Toronto Varsity Blues, Williams broke the OUA single-game women's points record, dropping 50 against Toronto, breaking former Brock Badger Candi Lohr's 35-year-old record of 49.

"It's been a memorable season, scoring hasn't been my main focus, I just do whatever it takes (to win), but it's been one of those years where shots just seem to be falling," she said. "I had no clue what the records were, especially in the game against Toronto."

Though her ability to dominate a game has gotten plenty of attention, it's Williams consistency that makes he a truly great player. Along with setting the single-game scoring record, she also broke the single-season scoring record of 506 points, set last year by former Western Mustang Jenny Vaughn. Williams broke the record in the third quarter of Lakehead's 77-73 win against Guelph on Feb. 28.

(Photo: Karyn Stepien)

Any coach will tell you, though, it's not just how much a player can score that matters, it's how they affect the entirety of the game.

"The (scoring) numbers stand out for themselves, but the fact she is also up there in assists and rebound stats shows she dominates both sides of the ball," said Kreiner. "I've never seen an all-round player like Jylisa at this level."

Kreiner also mentioned plans are in the works for Williams to play professionally in Europe once her university career is finished, as it would give provide her the opportunity to keep playing, while giving her more experience to one day accomplish her goal of becoming a coach.

When the season ends, Williams undoubtedly will receive individual awards and accolades, but finishing her OUA career with a championship, not an MVP trophy, is what's most important to her.

"Our goal is to win an OUA championship and make it to nationals. I want to prove our team is a lot more than just me. You can try and take me out of the game, but my teammates are there and can step up," she said.

No matter how Lakehead fares in the postseason, her time playing OUA basketball will always be remembered fondly by the guard from Atlanta.

"It's been a great experience and I'm sad I couldn't have been here longer, but it's about time for me to graduate."

Williams finished the regular season as the leading scorer in CIS averaging 28.8 points per game, was second in OUA in rebounds with 9.6 per game, and also led the conference with 4.0 steals per game.

The Lakehead Thunderwolves ended the 2014-15 campaign with a 14-5 record, good for fifth in the conference and a first-round home playoff game.

Williams and her team begin their quest for the cup tonight at 6 p.m. against the Western Mustangs. You can watch this game, and every other OUA playoff basketball game live on OUA.tv!