LAKEWOOD RANCH GRAD LADAZHIA WILLIAMS WINS NATIONAL TITLE WITH LSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
Bradenton Lakewood Ranch High School graduate, Ladazhia Williams, was on the winning end when Louisiana State University (LSU) won the 2023 Women’s Basketball Championship, beating the No. 2 seeded Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85. It marks the first-ever NCAA title for LSU, women’s or men’s. Williams led the Tigers’ starters with 20 points while Jasmine Carson came off the bench to score 22 points. Angel Reese, who was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, added 15 points and 10 rebounds to record the most double-doubles (34) in a single season.
“This is what we worked hard for, this is what we pushed through adversity for. It was definitely earned,” Williams said.
“It just feels great. We worked on our team chemistry since we got on campus. We all love each other and we all push hard for each other so it’s great.”
Williams, a 6’4” forward graduate student, brought four years of SEC experience to Baton Rouge, having played her freshman season at South Carolina and then played three seasons at Missouri where she started in 18 games during the 2021-22 season, averaging 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. She had one of the most efficient seasons in Missouri history as her 58.2 field goal percentage ranked third all-time in program history; had the No. 2 field-goal percentage in the SEC and No. 9 nationally.
While at Lakewood Ranch, Williams was ranked as the nation’s 12th-best forward and No. 48 overall prospect in the Class of 2017 class by ESPNW. She was named 8A Player of the Year by Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) and Sarasota Herald-Tribune (2017) after earning FABC 7A Player of the Year honors as a junior (2016). She was a three-time FABC first-team all-state selection and three-time Bradenton Herald All-Area Player of the Year. She averaged 19.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as a senior and finished career as Lakewood Ranch’s all-time leader scorer and rebounder. She also led Lakewood Ranch to a Class 7A state title game as a junior, the best finish in program history.
In the crowd at the championship game at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas was Williams’ high school coach, Tina Hadley, who coached Williams since she was in the 7th grade and was coach for the Mustangs from 2006-2017. ‘
“Ladazhia was long and athletic and had the propensity to easily pick up on skills required to play the game,”
Coach Hadley said. Hadley said Williams got better each game during the championship run.
“She elevated her game at the start of the tournament and every game she performed at a higher level. She was the glue and the unsung hero of the LSU team.
Williams has entered the WNBA draft; if she is not drafted, she will play overseas.
She was always called upon to guard the best post on the other team and the expectation was that she stayed out of foul trouble. In the championship game, she performed well while Angel Reese was out of the game, ending the game with 20 points, six rebounds and three steals. I am so proud of her and glad that she was able to find a school and a coach that understood that she needed to be pushed, but she also needed to be nurtured.” These days, Coach Hadley is in 4th year coaching at Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Georgia. She was able to elevate the program by achieving a lot of firsts in school history: two sweet 16’s, one elite 8, and a Regional Championship, as well as being named coach of the year.
Pictures:
Ladazhia Williams with her high school coach, Tina Hadley.
Ladazhia Williams, National Champion
