E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR is one of the few returners from Little Rock Central’s 2023-24 championship team. She is also the lone starter to return from last season, and she is finally getting some collegiate attention.

Williams has picked up an offer from National Park College, and they could not have offered her at a better time. She is entering her senior season as one of Central’s top scoring options. The Lady Tigers graduated Ky Wilson, Taylor Day-Davis, Ameriya Gaston, and Chloey-Rei Brown, and Williams will be tasked with picking up the slack from all of them.

Williams is a solid inside-outside scorer. She can knock down jumpers off the catch or take a dribble inside the arc and hit a mid-range shot. She is also great on the break, finishing through traffic. Throughout much of the conference season last year, Williams was tasked with being another playmaker for Central, and she did that with ease.

Not only is E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR a solid offensive player, but she is an outstanding defender, often tasked with defending the opposition’s best two-guards. With her championship pedigree and being one of the few seniors on this Lady Tiger roster, she will be relied upon heavily as she is now in the role of a “star.”

E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR made improvements to her game throughout the regular season. She started the year as a microwave scorer and then became a fantastic playmaker and defender.

The junior guard is a threat to shoot from outside, as well as being able to drive into the lane and hit a runner. During the season, Williams was tasked as one of Central’s primary ball-handlers. She handles full-court pressure well, racking up assists in the process.

Like I mentioned, Williams proved to be an excellent defender, as she averaged nearly 2 steals a night. A lot of her scoring came from her play on the defensive end. She would force a turnover, then run down the court and finish the easy layup. If it was a teammate who broke down the opposition’s play, then Williams would leak out in transition early.

E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR has flashed throughout her Tiger career. With Central losing 7 seniors, she is expected to be the go-to offensive option next season.

E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR had another solid all-around performance for the Tigers. She did not have her best game as far as scoring is concerned, but she made winning plays all over the court.

The junior guard finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals. She has become a reliable playmaker over the course of the season, as she knows just how to feed the hot-hand. All of her points were from her off-ball movement. She cut hard to the basket and made herself available for a pass down low.

Williams’ defense was also remarkable. Like Wilson, she jumped out in front of passes, knowing exactly where the Panthers wanted to go with the basketball.

E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR continues to be an underrated player on this Tiger team. Her excellent play on the defensive end will continue to help Central as they look to make a postseason run.

I did not realize until after rewatching the broadcast that E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR had a phenomenal performance. She did not score much, but her defense and rebounding became her calling card last night.

The junior guard finished the evening with 6 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. Both of her made field goals were from three, not missing any outside opportunity. She also gave Central second chance opportunities when she pulled down 3 offensive rebounds.

Williams’ rebounding was a game-changer. North Little Rock is a solid offensive rebounding team, but Williams halted that, making sure the break was starting as soon as she had the ball in her hands. Along with Chloey-Rei Brown Chloey-Rei Brown 5'3" | PG Little Rock Central | 2025 State AR , Williams helped shut down two of NLR’s best perimeter players, making them non-factors on the offensive end.

E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR should and will be on the 2026 ranking. She made it known that even if she cannot score at will, she can do anything else to help her team win.

E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR will definitely find herself in the next 2026 rankings update, especially after what she did against Vilonia last night.

Williams was the lone player in Central’s starting lineup who was not a senior, but she outplayed her older teammates in the first half. She recorded 8 of the first 9 points in the game, and knocked down the first three of the second half to break the scoring drought. On the night, Williams put up 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

Williams obviously knocked down one 3-pointer, but her other 12 points came inside the painted area. She handled the ball well, driving past the defense and scoring amongst the trees. She was also very active on the fastbreak, getting several of her points that way. Her offensive impact was on more than just the scoreboard as well.

Williams dished out 5 assists, as she made it her mission to get her teammates involved. She was not the team’s primary ball-handler, but she did help move the ball around. Outside of her offensive impact, she was a fantastic perimeter defender, helping spark the Lady Tigers’ transition offense, particularly from being disruptive in the team’s full-court press.

E’lyse Williams E’lyse Williams 5'7" | SG/SF Little Rock Central | 2026 State AR will be a valuable piece for the Lady Tigers all season long, and after this performance, she will without a doubt be ranked after the next ranking update.