PEORIA, Ill. -- Former Bradley women's basketball standout Dena Williams (Columbia, Mo./Hickman) has signed a professional contract with the ProBuild Lions of the Dutch Basketball Association and will join the team once she has completed her student teaching.
A first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection as a senior, the 6-4 center led the Braves in scoring (13.3 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocked shots (59) in 2004-05. Williams ended her career as Bradley's career leader in rebounds and blocked shots.
"This is a great opportunity for Dena to continue her basketball career," Bradley head coach Paula Buscher said. "I am very glad she has a chance to play overseas. Several coaches expressed interest in her last year during our trip to Europe, which gave her some different options to explore."
The ProBuild Lions are based out of Amsterdam and play in the First Division of the Dutch Basketball Association with the season running from September through April. Williams is expected to join the team once she has finished her student teaching.
"We were looking for a dominant big player on both sides of the floor and we think Dena can be that in this league," ProBuild Lions coach Brian Benjamin said. "(Coach) Laki (Lakner) went to the Bradley exhibition games in 2004 and he was very much impressed by what he saw from her. We contacted her and spoke on the phone several times. We watched her videos and contacted her coach and a few other coaches in the Valley Conference and liked what we saw and heard."
During Bradley's exhibition trip to Europe last summer Dena averaged 17.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game and posted three double-doubles in the five games. No stranger to Amsterdam, Williams averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent (14-for-25) in a pair of games against the Dutch National Team last August, while the Braves were in Amsterdam.
Williams is the second former Brave to play for Buscher to sign a professional contract. Jenn Jolley just finished up her third professional season in France, but will be returning to the United States to attend medical school.
