Ahead of her senior season with the Salina Central Mustangs, Hampton Williams made her college decision official, signing her letter of intent with Abilene Christian University on Wednesday.

Williams became the first Salina Central women’s basketball player to sign with a Division I program since 2014.

Salina Central Head Coach Chris Fear said part of what makes Williams so special is her versatility, among several other redeeming characteristics.

“She can do pretty much anything on the basketball floor, and that’s pretty unique,” said Fear. “She’s very unselfish.”

Deciding on a college is often one of the most difficult parts of the journey from high school to collegiate athletics, but Williams said it was any easy choice once she visited ACU.

“Initially, I didn’t really know who they were,” said Williams. “But then I visited and I knew it was where I wanted to be. It was just like heaven on earth.”

Fear, a former college head coach, offered Williams one piece of advice prior to her decision: “find a place that feels like home,” he said. “And I certainly think that she’s done that.”

Williams will now focus on her senior season with the Mustangs prior to venturing to Abilene, Texas and playing for coach Julie Goodenough in the Western Athletic Conference, and she says that having the decision out of the way will make it much easier to hone in on the goal of winning a state tournament.

“I think you know, for her, it’s like ‘everything else is taken care of, let’s just have fun,'” said Fear. “I think we’ve got some big goals. We had a great year last year and we’re looking for maybe a step or two farther this year.”

Hampton Williams and the Mustangs will open their 2021-2022 season on Friday, December 3rd against crosstown rival Salina South.

Salina Central Head Girl’s Basketball Coach Chris Fear speaks about Hampton Williams and her career accomplishments prior to her signing on Wednesday.