Patrick Reusse: Courtney Williams 'does everything with great energy' for Lynx

Patrick Reusse, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Sep 13, 2025

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Lindsay Whalen was sitting on a courtside chair as the Lynx players went through the informal warmup that started a couple of hours before Thursday’s tipoff against Golden State.

As always, assistant coach Whalen had her iPad and was ready to consult with players and provide video evidence of the talents and tendencies the evening’s opponents would offer.

Earlier this season, Courtney Williams sat next to Whalen for 8-10 minutes, pointing at the screen occasionally. When she finished, Williams was asked the benefit of these pregame chats and said:

“Lindsay? That girl sees everything.”

Whalen was the point guard for the Gophers’ best moments, for the four Lynx championships and for two Olympic gold medals. She’s a Naismith Hall of Famer, and on Thursday, she was asked:

“Do you have a teammate or opponent that is a comparable to Williams for the ‘frenzy’ with which she plays?”

No player came to mind quickly, and Whalen said: “It is a unique style, particularly for a point guard. And remember this, she really was a 2-guard that took on being the point guard once she came here.

“She doesn’t just run an offense. She does everything. She has an excellent midrange game. She’s outstanding with the late pass; that pass for an easy basket after she draws the defense. She defends, she rebounds, she does everything with great energy.”

Whalen paused a moment: “The stats I had the year [2008] in Connecticut when I was runner-up for MVP; Courtney this season is blowing me away.”

That season with the Sun, Whalen’s numbers in the basics were 14.0 points, 46.1% shooting, 5.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds in what was then a 34-game season. Williams finished this longest-ever WNBA regular season (44 games) averaging 13.6 points, 42.7% shooting, 6.2 assists and 4.9 rebounds — meaning, it would take a look at more exotic stats to declare Courtney a stat machine beyond Whalen in ’08.

Yet, comparable to an MVP runner-up, and being the point guard leader on a 34-10 team … that is fairly tremendous for Williams.

There was a comparison offered by me: “Courtney is the Lynx version of Steph.”

Whalen looked quizzically and said: “Curry?”

Answer: “No, our Steph here in Target Center. Marbury.”

Whalen: “That makes more sense.”

Our Steph came to the Wolves in a draft-night trade in 1999. Steph was 19 when drafted. Kevin Garnett had just turned 23. Finally, after a decade in the wilderness, these Timberwolves were going to conquer the NBA world.

It didn’t work out, because Steph wanted money the Wolves weren’t allowed by NBA rules to pay, and then he went to New Jersey and became more selfish.

Those first two years here, though — dynamic, unpredictable, the source of what had been missing energy … that was Steph.

Now, Williams has been here as the point guard for two years, as a veteran, and she has brought the energy that had been missing since 2018.

Cheryl Reeve, coach and basketball boss, hit the free-agent market for Williams as a guard and Alanna Smith as an undersized but defensive marvel at center in 2024. Throw in Napheesa Collier’s greatness and other solid pieces and, presto, the Lynx were in the Finals in 2024 and head into the playoffs on Sunday with a strong chance to win the waited-for title No. 5.

Before Thursday’s game, Reeve was asked about Williams’ influence as a true character among teammates.

“Courtney has a very natural disposition that is happy — it’s real, it’s authentic,” Reeve said. “It’s not just sometimes when you see her, because she comes the same every day, and when she doesn’t you’re worried … well, that [she] didn’t get enough sleep.

“She gives this team a lot of confidence. She’s always hyping them, and she believes in them deeply. They know that in her words and her actions.”

Reeve was saying this within 24 hours of Williams posting a lengthy piece on The Players’ Tribune, with Jess Foley recording her words and offering her story. I’ve read maybe two previous pieces on this website, but here’s an opinion:

This is straight from the heart — and maybe, more so, the gut — from Courtney Williams and it is fantastic. Linking it here might not meet the newspaper’s standards for avoiding profanity, but you can find it and take in the journey for a self-described “Black masculine woman from Folkston, Ga.” to WNBA excellence, with all her blemishes, the obstacles and now the triumphs.

And near the end of this gigantic essay, Courtney turns straight from small-town Georgia poignant:

“People will always judge you off your worst moments, but you don’t have to pay attention to that.”

Although, in humorous fashion, Williams was somewhat judgmental when being asked a few questions courtside after the warmup, and I scratched down the answers on the back of some printed game notes.

“You writing this?” she said. “Get yourself a phone.

“Man, you’re old-school as hell.”

Which wasn’t all bad. After that, I wasn’t required to ask a question about “StudBudz” and whatever new-age hilarity that’s all about.

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