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basketball Edit

Williams' verbal marked start of impressive 2017 class

Top 2017 point guard and Stanford commit Kiana Williams poses with head coach Tara Vanderveer.
Top 2017 point guard and Stanford commit Kiana Williams poses with head coach Tara Vanderveer. (Kiana Williams)

When Kiana Williams found out she was admitted to Stanford on Aug. 23 her first reaction was to restrain herself from celebrating while on the phone. The point guard -- who is rated as the No. 8 overall prospect by espnW HoopGurlz -- was walking on her high school campus when she got the call from Stanford head coach Tara Vanderveer.

“I didn’t want anyone thinking I was crazy or anything,” Williams said of her motivation to remain calm. “I was leaving lunch and going to pre-calculus. I told my teacher and she told me congratulations. All my classmates were congratulating me.”

Her father was less restrained when she called with the news. He shouted with joy, she said.

A little more than a month after being admitted, Williams committed to the Cardinal on Oct. 8 during an official visit. And, like a true point guard, her verbal got the ball rolling for a stellar recruiting class.

Joining Williams on that recruiting trip was Maya Dodson (the No. 11 overall prospect), Estella Moschkau (No. 44) and Alyssa Jerome (a Canadian forward). Moschkau committed soon after Williams, followed by Jerome and then Dodson announced on Oct. 18.

While Williams was almost certain she’d commit to Stanford before the trip to The Farm, she was still a bit nervous about meeting players and seeing if the fit was right. But the visit didn’t disappoint.

“It was a beautiful campus,” she said. “I didn’t want to leave. We visited the Hoover Tower. We visited the church. Just walking in there it was a different feeling. I don’t know how to describe it. It was peaceful walking there. That was neat.”

While she enjoyed talking to former U.S. Secretary of State and Stanford professor Condoleezza Rice and head football coach David Shaw, her favorite interaction was with the current Cardinal players.

“I didn’t have an idea what it would be like,” she said. “I went in and acted myself. They were really genuine people. I went to a class with DiJonai Carrington. I got to experience a day in the life of a student athlete.”

Williams was hosted by Kaylee Johnson and asked the junior forward about balancing school with basketball and time management tips. Johnson gave immediate practical advice: “She was telling me I need a bike for sure.”

Williams and the rest of the recruits watched about 30 minutes of a practice, and while the Cardinal's athleticism was apparent, her main takeaway was, “It was very intense. Everyone was communicating, encouraging and involved.”

Compared to past years, Williams said she’s grown as a verbal leader on the court and she understands how crucial that element of her game will be to complement her physical skills. And one aspect of her game that is readily apparent is her speed with the basketball -- something that fits in the offense she saw at Stanford’s practice.

“The offense they were running, everyone was getting touches and there was a lot of movement,” she said. “She (Vanderveer) doesn’t want you walking the ball up the court. That’s what I like. I’m excited and ready to work.”

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