Oklahoma Senior Madi Williams is Not Just Back, She's Even Better Than Last Year

Williams has worked on numerous elements of her game, starting with 3-point shooting and including low-post defense.

Oklahoma senior Madi Williams is a two-time unanimous first-team All-Big 12 forward.

She’ll be even better in 2022-23.

“I think Madi is so consistent day in and day out,” Sooners head coach Jennie Baranczyk said Tuesday at Big 12 Tipoff in Kansas City. “I think she's continued to develop really a lot of her guard skills. You know, she's always been physical. She's always been so utility and done whatever she can possibly do.”

Williams averaged 16.1 points per game in 2019-20, and elevated that to 20.0 in ’20-21. Last year Williams’ scoring stood at 18.0, while her rebounding and shooting percentage rose.

So where can Williams be better in 2022-23?

“I think she's a much better 3-point shooter,” Baranczyk said.

Williams’ 3-point percentages the last three seasons were up and down, from .353 to .286 to .311.

What did Williams work on the most during the offseason?

“A little bit of guard skills,” she said, “but mostly the 3-point line. I want to be able to expand my range and get way more consistent from there.”

That wasn’t all, the 5-foot-11 Williams said.

“Also rebounding,” she added, “and defense, to being able to go out one-on-one. Everything needs some work, but at the end of the day, I try my hardest to get 1 percent better every day.”

The Sooners were picked third in the preseason Big 12 rankings, and they are No. 15 in Tuesday's Associated Press Preseason Top 25 — their first preseason ranking since 2017.

With returning starters like Williams and Taylor Robertson and Ana Llanusa (back from another injury) along with point guards Nevaeh Tot and Kelbie Washington and forward Skylar Vann leading the way after going 25-9 in Baranczyk’s first season, there’s a lot of expectations on this year’s team.

“I think we're only worried about one expectation — that's our own,” Williams said. “We have high expectations for ourselves. And we're ready to meet those expectations. We're ready to go out and perform every night, every game night, come out with as many wins as we can and have a pretty deep run in the season.”

Robertson led the nation in 3-pointers per game last season, but it was Williams who led the Sooners inspirationally — and will continue to lead them in her final season.

“I think she continues to grow,” Baranczyk said. “She's worked, I think, defensively. You know, she's had to defend the paint a lot and she is outsized in the paint. I think she's been able to really expand her game in terms of her defense, especially on the perimeter as well.”