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IllustrateD volume 24, issue 4 69 f that before. … But this is her opportunity and she's stepped up big." Williams has had those chances before, but gener- ally deferred. It's her nature, she says, to think of oth- ers first, considering their enjoyment even before her own. "She cares about everybody beyond just what's going on in basketball," assistant coach Nadine Morgan said. "She'll even ask the coaches, 'Are you guys all right?' You don't get that all the time, but she truly cares and is just really genuine." Williams admits that her selflessness gets the best of her at times — for a flaw, it's not all that bad of one — causing her to be too passive, especially since aggression would require her to step outside her com- fort zone. Defense, where she's been a solid player for Pur- due over the years, is comfortable. Offense, where she The Case For Williams After Purdue's win over Iowa in mid-February, in which Dee Dee Williams helped seal by stopping Hawkeye star guard Samantha Log- ic in the closing seconds, Sharon Versyp called her senior guard one of best defenders in school history. It might be hyperbole, but even so, a case can be made to support Versyp's feelings. Although she isn't as quick as FahKara Malone, Purdue's all-time steals leader; or as imposing as Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, the blocks leader; or dynamic as Ukari Figgs, Williams has proven a sturdy de- fender. Length is her biggest asset. At 6-foot, with long arms and legs, she prides herself on staying between her opponent and the basket, not wanting to get beaten. Opponents' speed is a problem at times, as Williams is susceptible to smaller, quicker players. But in the right matchups, she can be particularly effective. Like against Penn State star Maggie Lucas, who Williams has limited at times the last four years. In Purdue's win in Happy Valley earlier this season, Williams helped hold the reigning Big Ten Player-of-the-Year to just 6-of-15 shooting. She's had similar battles with Nebraska forward Jordan Hooper and Connecticut's Maya Moore, who she harassed around the court in an NCAA Tourna- ment game as a freshman. "Before games, if coach is say- ing 'We have to stop this person,' and I'm guarding that person, I take pride in that because that's my job, it's what I need to do to help our team," Williams said. "Just like with Courtney (Moses): Shoot the ball, that's your job. "I love it, the matchups don't scare me. I just take pride in them and am ready for the challenge. I don't back down from it." Yet, Williams is unlikely to win any postseason recognition for her efforts. The senior has never been honored on the Big Ten's All-De- fensive Team, likely a result of pe- destrian statistics. Williams isn't among the league leaders in steals or blocks and has never accumulat- ed a high volume of either during her days at Purdue. Rather than take risks, she choses to stay funda- mentally sound, using the techniques she learned at Ben Davis High School. Through the first 25 games this season, Williams had only 17 steals, nowhere near the Big Ten leaders. Penn State guard Dara Taylor was tops in the league, with 73, nearly three per outing. "But it's not about steals," Versyp said. "It's about locking down the other team's best player." — Kyle Charters Tom Campbell Dee Dee Williams has long been known for her defense, and in a win against Iowa, she helped slow Hawk- eye star Samantha Logic in the final seconds.