A Blue Springs journey to basketball’s big-time: Why Jada Williams is ready for it all
Pencil it out.
Grandpa’s voice echoed in Jada Williams’ head. It always did when she was making important decisions. And this one, her college basketball commitment, was her weightiest yet.
The Division I offers started pouring in when Williams was still in middle school. Her grandfather’s advice helped her plan for eventualities, to see the pros and cons of one choice over another.
In announcing her commitment to attend UCLA, a choice made public in March, she teamed up with cinematographer/director Adrian Herrera on a short film entitled, “I am Jada Williams,” in which she explains that her basketball journey really began when she was 3.
“I wanted to tell more of my story, because a lot of people just skip chapters,” said Williams, 16 years old and beginning her junior year at Blue Spring High School. “They don’t understand the chapters in my life, so I really wanted to break that down for everybody and just let them take a look inside of who I really am.”
She’s already built an enviable social-media stature: 286,000 followers on Instagram, 12,200 on Twitter and 77,700 on TikTok. They appreciate her humor and views on life. But they really love her basketball skills.
Rated No. 16 nationally in espnW’s HoopGurlz recruiting rankings for the Class of 2023, Williams was, as of this week, the only player in the Top 60 who’d committed to a college program. But she felt quite sure about her decision, early as it may have been, and that confidence had little to do with hoops.
Her grandfather, Rick Meyerkorth, instilled in her an unshakable faith, and that, too, continues to play a central role in her life on and off the court. The staff and coaches at UCLA weren’t shy about discussing the role faith plays in their program. Many Division I schools offered Williams a place to compete; few, she felt, offered her the opportunity to grow as a player and a person.
It’s been two years now since Williams’ grandfather, whom she called “Papa,” died of pancreatic cancer. But Williams feels his presence still.
“(My grandpa) really started the path of the Lord for me, and so I just keep battling every day, no matter what: good times, bad times, the Lord is always in my corner,” Williams said. “And no matter what, I know I have to stay on his path and just continue to continue to grow my faith, even if basketball gets taken away … it doesn’t define me, you know?”
Williams’ mother, Jill McIntyre, has been there for each of Jada’s games and every exhausting tournament. Williams says she’s her best friend, “my biggest role model, my biggest supporter, my number one fan, all that in one.”
Her granddad? He was a father figure. A sounding board.
“He felt like that was one of his purposes was to teach her, and the things that she was missing in her life, he took over and provided for,” McIntyre said. “It was a special bond and special relationship they had.”
“My Papa was always in my corner,” Williams said. “He loved to watch me play basketball. He loved to cheer me on and he was always supporting me, no matter what. But the one thing that he always made sure of was that I was going to stay grounded and stay humble.
“No matter what, I can feel my Papa’s presence … that man, he was just he was just so inspirational to everybody.”
A pure love
Entering her junior year at Blue Springs, Williams is already a seasoned international traveler thanks to her stints with USA Basketball. She has the potential to become one of the best point guards in the college game, and after that, perhaps the WNBA.
Her athleticism and speed, her ball skills and a quick-release jump shot from mid-range to beyond the arc make her an all-around offensive threat. She can drive to the hoop and pass with precision. She’s a dangerous playmaker.
As a 5-foot-6 sophomore guard, she averaged 19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists last season as Blue Springs went 16-6. Williams said she is just as proud of her leadership skills.
“I think the USA (Basketball) trials definitely made me realize that I can impact the game so much more than just scoring or dribbling,” she said. “If you’re the PG, you run the team, right? So if your teammates believe in themselves, then the team is just so much better ...”
So Williams is in the gym day in, day out, working on her craft.
“Every time I step on the court, I have so much fun,” she said. “I leave my heart on the floor at every game. No matter what, I’m just going to play as hard as I can, because I don’t take it for granted — this is my life. I put so much time and effort into this, and so much blood, sweat and tears, my soul literally lays on that floor when I’m done.”
Marcus Walker has been training Williams since she was in sixth grade. Some time back, she asked him to be her godfather. That meant the world to him.
“To see her achieving these things and going to a greater height than I ever went to, that’s the reason why I do what I do,” he said. “That’s what I’m excited about and proud of, too, about her journey, is that she’s doing things that I’ve never done. ...
“Everybody that knows me, that trains with me, (knows) I’m a very personal person. I get emotional about what I do, because this is my life. So that right there, will forever be my greatest moment with her. Ain’t no other moment that can compare to that.”
Other moments come close, like meeting the late Kobe Bryant with Williams in 2019 during a recruiting visit at UCLA. McIntyre made Bryant’s appearance a surprise, and Williams was speechless when she saw her hero approach. Better still, Bryant stayed in touch with her afterward.
“When I talk about passion and hard work and being mentally locked in, that’s who everyone thinks of,” Williams said. “When you talk about Mamba mentality, everybody knows who that is. ... Just being around someone of that caliber and that smart of a person and player, it just impacted my game. I left with so much.”
‘I just want to be myself’
In some ways, it’s hard to believe Williams is only 16. Her basketball journey has been followed closely for years by those in and around women’s basketball’s. She’s one of the sport’s rising stars.
The commitment to UCLA. Her selection to Team USA’s U16 basketball squad. An honorary ESPY as the 2020 Missouri girls basketball player of the year. It’s all played out under the microscope of social media.
Every mistake, every bad game, all on display. But Williams takes that in stride, too — even it it’s been hard for her mom to observe
“I did take it really hard at the beginning,” McIntyre said. “I think every parent does when someone says something bad about their child. So you have to develop thick skin, and witnessing how she was handling a lot of the negative attention really taught me that I could do a better job. I just started ignoring the noise.”
Walker said some view Williams as overconfident and selfish. He said those assumptions are off-base.
“Hell, honestly, I would love to see Jada to be more selfish,” Walker said. “I think a lot of people … make up things in their own head, that she’s just this certain type of kid. But man, she’s just a happy-go-lucky kid that loves to have fun.”
He believes any lingering negative perceptions will fade as observers learn more about her.
“I think as we get deeper in this journey and with certain opportunities that Jada is going to be presented, that the world is (going to) see her in a light that they’ve yet to see her,” he said. “I think that Jada is everything that the women’s game needs, because she got everything you will want on and off the court.”
Williams recognizes the power in her platform and believes it serves her purpose: to be a positive force, a light in others’ lives.
So what you see is what you get.
“I got to a certain point where it’s important to brand yourself, but it’s exhausting if you try to be somebody you’re not on social media,” she said. “Then you’ve got to try to act like that in front of people. I just want to be myself, so that I don’t have to put on a face or do anything like that. My captions, all that, is just me just having fun.”
Recent rules changes in college athletics enable student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. There will be no shortage of opportunities once Williams joins the Bruins. She started her own YouTube channel a month ago — 2,000 subscribers and growing — and has already used it to document road trips and tournaments.
She’s glad to see the game has changed in name, image and likeness, and she intends to be selective in determining branding opportunities with which to align.
“I think everyone deserves it,” she said of college players’ newfound ability to claim earnings from such partnerships. “I think we work so hard, and they use our name for so much stuff, and they get paid off of it. We weren’t allowed to do that for so long, and so now we are and it’s super important. I’m just super excited for everyone to have the opportunity.”
It’s clear that Williams’ basketball journey has taken her far. But it’s just as clear that this journey has also just begun.
“Her work ethic, her drive and determination is so solid,” Walker said. “I think the world just now seeing what Jada Williams can be.”