Redshirt sophomore guard Monica Williams’ career so far can be described by versatility and resilience, with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
Early into Williams’ senior year of high school, despite offers from many other schools, she decided to commit to Ohio due to its coaching staff.
Williams attended Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis. She found herself in the national spotlight at Lawrence North as she was named to the Prospects Nation Elite 150 list her senior year. This came after she led her team to its first-ever state championship win as a captain in just her sophomore year.
“It felt really good coming onto a strong team as a freshman, and living up to that role,” Williams said about her early high school success.
During her senior year, she earned an All-USA Central Indiana Super Team Honorable Mention while leading her team in assists and averaging nine points per game.
It’s no secret that Williams had a strong and memorable high school career, but college basketball is a different level than high school.
Even with the increase in difficulty, in Williams’ freshman year at Ohio, she picked up right where she left off, starting and playing a big role in her first year.
“It’s definitely a way faster pace of play,” Williams said about the differences between college basketball and high school. “College is a lot bigger on discipline as well.”
As a freshman, Williams started in all 30 of Ohio’s regular-season games, and she would end the season fifth in scoring with an average of 8.2 per game. On top of all that, she led her team to the Mid-American Conference tournament after they finished dead last in the MAC the year prior with a 6-23 record.
Despite the Bobcats losing to Ball State in the first round, Williams and Ohio had a lot of hope going into the next season.
Williams started her sophomore year strong, averaging 7.5 points per game, including 18 points against Wright State. She also put up 5.7 rebounds per game and 10 total steals through the first six games.
Then, tragedy struck. Early in the third quarter against Ohio Christian, the Bobcats were up big when Williams was going up for a rebound after senior Kate Dennis missed a 3-pointer.
Williams got the rebound and then fell to the ground after feeling her knee bend in.
“I couldn’t cry because I was in shock,” Williams said. “I was just trying to process what happened. I tried to stray away from the thought of it being a serious injury, but when they brought up a torn ACL, I knew there was a strong chance of that.”
She was then taken to the hospital for an MRI that confirmed the original thought, a torn ACL.
“I just realized I wouldn’t play for the rest of the season, and was just wondering how I was going to move forward from here,” Williams said.
Williams then had surgery on her knee to repair her torn ACL, and she began the grueling recovery process.
After such a promising season, Ohio struggled heavily last year without Williams, and she watched from the bench as her team went 6-23.
“It was definitely frustrating,” Williams said. “I just had to sit there hopelessly. Cheering on the bench with my team and trying to stay positive is the best I could do.”
Williams went into the off-season motivated by her team's struggles and not being able to contribute. She knew they had a strong team going into the next season, and knowing how much better she could be helped fuel her training and recovery.
Her inner circle of friends and team managers helped her a lot through the process, supporting her emotionally.
“Everyone was just checking on me and making sure I was OK,” Williams said. “The managers helped a lot, too, by rebounding for me while I was practicing my sitting shots.”
Before her injury, she was a true starter, averaging over 30 minutes a game. This season, as she comes back to 100%, she has been a bench player with fewer opportunities. This drop in playing time for the first time in her career has led to a mix of emotions for Williams.
“I feel frustrated at times,” Williams said. “The mistakes I make, just because I can’t explode a certain way, or just being in my head too much. I’m still trusting the process a lot. Obviously, it’s my first season back, so it’s not going to be perfect.”
Williams is now 100% recovered from her ACL injury, but is still cautiously progressing to where she was before the injury.
“It’s about taking it slow,” Williams said. “I get banged up after games and am really sore the next day. So I’m just taking my time and working through it all.”
Having Williams back has been huge for the Bobcats. Her return to the court has helped them vastly improve this season as they look to challenge for a MAC title in March.
