The UCLA Bruins landed a big fish on Wednesday, with five-star forward Nation Williams signing with the defending champion Bruins. Williams is the daughter of UCLA alum Natalie Williams. 

Williams is a major get for UCLA, with Rivals having her as the No. 10 player in the 2027 class and as the No. 2 power forward. Williams could be joining Sienna Betts as one of the more interesting frontcourt pairings in the country. 

Williams is listed at 6’2” and chose UCLA over offers from Notre Dame, Duke, Iowa and Michigan. USA TODAY writer Joseph Spears wrote about Cori Close and the Bruins landing the five-star forward.

“As a sophomore Nation broke out onto the scene averaging 17.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game along with 3.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.1 blocks en route to a state championship. She upped nearly every stat as a junior averaging 21.9 points and 12.9 rebounds,” Williams wrote. “On the international scene, she also played a pivotal role in leading the FIBA U16 women's team to the 2025 AmeriCup, and last year was part of the FIBA U17 team that won the Women's World Cup. During the World Cup, she averaged a team-high 9.1 rebounds and 8 points per game.”

Natalie Williams played with UCLA from 1990-1994 before being drafted by the Utah Starzz with the third overall pick of the 1999 Draft after spending some years in the American Basketball League (ABL). 

Williams would wind up being a four-time WNBA All-Star and would be All-WNBA First Team three times. As a Bruin, Williams was a two-time USWBA All-American. Now her daughter gets a chance to follow in her footsteps in Westwood.