All roads intersect for TCU senior Williams in home finale

By Travis L. Brown

Special to the Star-Telegram

Before the TCU women’s basketball team played a game this season, senior point guard Whitney Williams had Saturday’s game circled.

Her past and present will intersect at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum when the Horned Frogs celebrate senior night against Iowa State at 4 p.m.

Williams will be one of two Horned Frog players honored in their last home game, alongside Delisa Gross.

But in a stroke of fate Williams could only describe as “interesting and ironic,” she will face Iowa State, the team she played for her freshman and sophomore years before transferring to TCU.

She’ll also display her talent as an outstanding musician by singing the national anthem in pregame, thanks to some intense persuasion from teammates and athletic department staff.

“Music has always been something in my life,” Williams said. “My mom was a pianist and she kind of got us into music at an early age. I always wanted to pick up a guitar so I picked it up when I was about 10. It’s something I just do for free time, I guess.”

That free-time activity turned into performances at local open mic nights, where Williams displayed her ability to weave and maneuver up and down a guitar, not unlike her ball handling abilities on the basketball court.

As friends and family gather to watch the Fort Worth native’s last home collegiate game, she’ll perform her biggest musical gig yet.

Williams then will exchange her singing voice for the yells of one of TCU’s vocal leaders, a role she has gradually moved into this season.

“As the season’s gone on that’s kind of changed, but I see my role as more vocal than anything else,” Williams said. “You have to encourage [TCU’s freshman starters] and keep telling them certain things you think they need to hear, because you’ve been there but you’re not in their position right now, so you just keep pouring into them what all you have.”

Williams’ teammates know what Saturday’s game means to her.

Williams collected memories of an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and Sweet 16 run before transferring to a TCU program that has one conference win in its first season in the Big 12.

“We all know that’s a big game for us and for Whitney,” fellow senior Gross said. “She had a tough time there and is enjoying it here. She wants to go out with a bang like every senior does.”

For Williams, Saturday will be nostalgic and memorable.

“To me it’s bittersweet,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of things to think about in that game. I’ll try not to, but at the end of it, I’ll probably look at it as more of a blessing than anything else. I don’t know why but that’s kind of how I feel.”

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