Miami Transfer Guard Ja'Leah Williams Commits to Louisville

The guard was one of the top defenders in the ACC this past season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville women's basketball program has landed their first commitment via the transfer portal since their offseason began.

Ja'Leah Williams, a former guard at Miami, announced Tuesday that she is staying in the ACC and has committed to the Cardinals.

The 5-foot-9 guard put together an efficient junior campaign down at Miami this past season, and was one of the best defenders in the ACC. Playing in 30 games with 18 starts, she averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, while shooting 42.6 percent from the field. Her 1.67 steals per game led the Canes, and was good for 11th in the ACC.

The Pompano Beach, Fla. native has been a regular fixture of Miami's rotation for the past three seasons. Over 99 games and 81 starts, Williams has totaled 689 points, 383 rebounds, 250 assists and 158 steals.

Unlike last offseason, head coach Jeff Walz isn't losing almost his entire roster, with five players departing the program this offseason. Kiki Jefferson, Nina Rickards and Sydney Taylor are graduating, while Alexia Mobley and Hennie von Schaik have entered the portal.

This time around, the Cardinals are supplanting their departing talent almost exclusively from the high school ranks. They are welcoming six true freshman for next season, including a pair of five-star prospects in Mackenly Randolph and Tajianna Roberts.

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By their typically lofty standards, Louisville had a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, finishing the year at 24-10 for their fewest wins since the 2011-12 season. They also suffered their very first opening round loss in the NCAA Tournament in Walz's 17 years at the helm, falling 71-69 to MTSU.

(Photo of Ja'Leah Williams: Jim Dedmon - USA TODAY Sports)

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