Today is Sunday, May 3, and six days remain until the Las Vegas Aces open the 2026 season. At Dice City Sports, we are counting down to opening tip as the defending champs chase a fourth championship in five years while we rank the top 14 players in franchise history.
Natalie Williams
Williams checks in at No. 6 after a dominant four-year run with the Utah Starzz. From 1999-2002, she averaged 15.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 119 games while shooting 48.6% from the field.
Her peak was immediate. Williams made the All-WNBA first team and All-Star team in each of her first three seasons with Utah. She averaged 18.0 points and 9.2 rebounds in 1999, then followed with 18.7 points and a league-best 11.6 rebounds in 2000. She also received MVP votes in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
Why she ranks here
Williams ranks this high because she was one of the franchise’s first elite stars. Her scoring, rebounding and three straight All-WNBA first-team seasons gave Utah one of the WNBA’s best frontcourt players.
Background
Williams was born Nov. 30, 1970, in Long Beach, Calif. She played at UCLA and attended Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Utah. The Utah Starzz selected her with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft.
Career check
In 221 WNBA games, Williams averaged 13.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 47.4% from the field. She was a four-time All-Star, the 2000 rebounding champion and a three-time All-WNBA selection. Williams also later served as a Las Vegas Aces executive from April 8, 2022, to Oct. 26, 2024.
Next up tomorrow: No. 5.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
