Cal Women’s Basketball Adds Transfer Guard Kayla Williams for 2024-25 Season
- The California Golden Bears women’s basketball team has bolstered its roster with the addition of graduate transfer guard Kayla Williams for the 2024-25 season, head coach Charmin Smith announced Friday.
Williams, a 5-foot-7 guard hailing from Los Angeles, joins Cal from the University of Southern California (USC). Before her tenure at USC, Williams made a significant impact at UC Irvine over three years.
In her inaugural season with the Trojans in 2022-23, Williams earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team Honorable Mention, leading the team in steals with 48. She started all 31 games that season and participated in 26 games this past season. Williams’ defensive acumen and playmaking abilities were evident throughout her time with USC.
During her stint at UC Irvine, Williams showcased her talent, earning Big West Freshman of the Year and All-Big West First Team honors in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. She also secured spots on the Big West All-Defensive Team and Big West All-Tournament Team in 2021-22. Despite sitting out the 2019-20 season due to injury, Williams quickly established herself as a key player for the Anteaters, starting 55 games across two seasons.
“We could tell instantly that Kayla was a great fit for our culture and our team,” said head coach Charmin Smith. “Our players absolutely loved getting to know her. She has experience as a starting guard on an NCAA Tournament team. She’s going to elevate our defensive presence and bring her winning mentality and playmaking skills to our squad and allow us to hit the ground running as we head into the ACC.”
In the 2023-24 season, Williams averaged 10.8 minutes and 2.6 points per game over 26 games. She scored a season-high nine points against Air Force and recorded a season-high four steals against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. In the previous 2022-23 season, she averaged 24.8 minutes, 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, ranking 12th in the Pac-12 with 48 total steals. Williams also contributed significantly to the Trojans’ offense, finishing second on the team in assists per game with 2.4.
At UC Irvine, Williams led her team in multiple categories during the 2021-22 season, averaging 15.5 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Her 73 steals set a single-season school record, and she ranked in the top-10 in several other statistical categories, including points, three-pointers made, and assists. Williams scored in double figures in 29 of 32 games, highlighted by a season-high 26 points against Cal Poly.
In her freshman year at UC Irvine, Williams led the Anteaters with 14.4 points, 4.1 assists, 2.6 steals, and 34.1 minutes per game. She ranked among the top-15 NCAA Division I freshmen in scoring and assists, delivering standout performances that included five 20+ point games and a career-high 32 points against Cal Poly.
“The assurance that I will be surrounded by individuals who are invested in my growth as a student-athlete and young woman is what motivated me to commit to Cal,” Williams shared. “Plus, it’s not every day you get the chance to play for a coach who’s been to where you are trying to go. Charmin’s resume speaks for itself and I’m excited for the opportunity to play for her. I can already tell this year is going to be special.”
Williams was a four-star recruit out of Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California, where she earned numerous accolades, including All-CIF Southern Section First Team and All-Del Rey League First Team honors.
With the addition of Williams, the Golden Bears look forward to enhancing their defensive capabilities and benefiting from her seasoned leadership as they prepare for their inaugural season in the ACC.
