One of the West Coast's premier girls basketball prospects is staying close to home as five-star Centennial (NV) power forward Nation Williams announced her commitment to UCLA.
A 6-foot-2 standout at the Las Vegas high school, Williams is the daughter of Las Vegas Aces general manager and Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Natalie Williams. During her playing days, Natalie also played college basketball at UCLA and was the third overall pick going to the Utah Starzz in the 1999 WNBA Draft.
Nation chose the Bruins over notable programs such as Baylor, Duke, Iowa, Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Washington.
As a sophomore Nation broke out onto the scene averaging 17.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game along with 3.5 assists, 2.8
steals and 2.1 blocks en route to a state championship. She upped nearly every stat as a junior averaging 21.9 points and 12.9 rebounds.
On the international scene, she also played a pivotal role in leading the FIBA U16 women's team to the 2025 AmeriCup, and last year was part of the FIBA U17 team that won the Women's World Cup.
During the World Cup, she averaged a team-high 9.1 rebounds and 8 points per game.
According to the USA TODAY Sports composite rankings, Williams ranks as the No. 10 overall prospect, the No. 2 power forward and the top player out of Nevada for the 2027 recruiting cycle. With Williams now committed, seven of the top 10 prospects in the composite have announced their commitments.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UCLA lands five-star recruit, daughter of WNBA legend
