Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams may not have gotten a WNBA championship ring this year, but she’s about to sport some serious bling nonetheless. In what can only be described as a Hall of Fame-worthy moment, Williams proposed to her longtime partner, Shya, and the internet—along with half the WNBA—completely freaked out.
On Thursday, Williams dropped the big news via Instagram, sharing a slew of swoon-worthy photos from the proposal. Of course, in true Courtney fashion, she captioned the post with a bit of her signature swagger:
“Wowwwww 🥹 it’s a forever thing now 🔒🫶🏽 My fiancé yaaa hearrr meeee.”
Cue the flood of congratulations. And by flood, I mean a tidal wave of emojis, caps-locked comments, and tear-jerking messages from her teammates and WNBA stars across the league.
Teammates Go Wild
Williams’ Lynx teammate, Napheesa Collier, wasted no time jumping in with her well wishes. After all, it’s not every day you see one of your team’s stars getting down on one knee for something other than a pregame stretch. Fellow Lynx player Bridget Carleton chimed in as well, clearly thrilled for her friend—because what’s a proposal without a little squad support?
But the love didn’t stop with Minnesota. Connecticut Sun icons DeWanna Bonner and DiJonai Carrington also hopped on the engagement train, proving that basketball might be a rivalry on the court, but off the court, it’s all about love and emojis. Bonner kept things short and sweet with a string of celebratory icons, while Carrington hit us with the feels, leaving a message that could make even the toughest player tear up.
WNBA Star-Studded Love Fest
Not to be outdone, the Indiana Fever’s Lexie Hull and Dallas Wings’ Satou Sabally also showed up in the comments. Sabally, never one to be understated, had what can only be described as a full-on emoji meltdown, proving that even stone-cold scorers have a soft spot for a good proposal.
It’s no surprise that Courtney’s engagement has taken the WNBA by storm. After an impressive season with the Lynx that saw the team make it all the way to the WNBA Finals, Williams continues to shine both on and off the court. Sure, the Lynx fell to the New York Liberty in a nail-biting five-game series, but this engagement feels like the real win of the season.
Future Rings Incoming?
Courtney Williams’ ring game is just getting started. While the Lynx are eyeing a championship in 2025, Williams has already locked in a different kind of ring—one she’ll probably treasure even more. And just in case that wasn’t enough excitement, Williams is gearing up for her debut in the newly-launched 3×3 league, Unrivaled. Co-founded by none other than Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, the league is about to get a lot more exciting—and so is Williams’ life.
As for Williams and Shya, the lovebirds have been going strong since 2022, and if their Instagram PDA is anything to go by, the wedding will be a star-studded affair that’ll rival any WNBA All-Star weekend. No official wedding date has been set yet, but whenever it happens, it’s safe to assume the guest list will be stacked with some of the biggest names in women’s basketball—and maybe a few extra championship rings for good measure.
So, while we wait for the big day, one thing’s for sure: Courtney Williams knows how to put a ring on it, both on the court and off.
