Peyton Williams: Home from China
Top-10 all-time Kansas State scorer. Third in Wildcats history for career rebounds. Two years of 12 and 7 in the Chinese WCBA at 58% from the floor. Portland found her.
The K-State Hall-of-Fame Career Nobody Watched
Start with the numbers. At Kansas State, Peyton Williams finished 9th in program history in career points (1,553), 3rd in rebounds (967), 5th in blocks (119), 10th in field goals made (585), and 5th in free throws made (333). She was the first player in K-State basketball history to finish with 1,500 points, 900 rebounds, 200 assists, 150 steals, and 100 blocks combined. That is a very specific kind of rare: the Wildcat who did everything.
K-State is not a program you need to defend. But women's college basketball attention has always flowed to a small number of blue-blood programs, and when a player like Williams puts up a historic career at K-State, she ends up with a fraction of the national profile a player at UConn or South Carolina would get for the same production. That is the system. It does not reflect the player.
China for Two Years
When the WNBA did not come calling, Williams went to China. Wuhan Shengfan in the WCBA. In her 2024-25 season she averaged 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds at 61.1% from the floor. That is a near double-double for an entire season at high efficiency in a foreign professional league. In 2025-26 she averaged 12.0 points and 7.1 rebounds at 58.4% from the floor, playing 29.9 minutes a game. Those are consistent, reliable pro numbers. The efficiency numbers in particular are striking: a 58% shooter over 29.9 minutes a night is a player who knows where her shots are and takes them.
Players who grind in the WCBA for two seasons at that kind of efficiency are rarely mid-career athletes hiding from real competition. They are usually players who have a skill set that works anywhere and a door in the American league that did not open soon enough. Portland is the door.
The Portland Signing
April 15, 2026. Training camp contract. Same day as Teja Oblak and Kamiah Smalls. Four signings in two days, all veterans with clear international production, none of them name-recognition stars. This is GM Černivec's pattern. Build a camp roster out of players who have been producing professionally and let them fight for the final 12.
Williams is the most straightforward of the four. She is a 6-foot-ish forward who finishes around the rim, rebounds at both ends, and plays within herself. She does not need the ball to be productive. She is exactly the kind of frontcourt role player that winning teams keep on the bench and hate to play against. If she makes the roster, she backs up Bridget Carleton and Emily Engstler and gives Coach Sarama a steady rotation option with zero drama.
The Name Collision
Portland now has two Williams on the roster: Peyton Williams (this page) and Serah Williams, the 6-4 center the Fire traded for on WNBA Draft night. Peyton is a forward. Serah is a center. Peyton is a training-camp veteran of China. Serah is a true rookie out of UConn. When you see "Williams" on the Fire, ask which one.
What to Watch
Rebounding. Williams has been a rebounder at every level. 9 per game in China one year, 7 per game the next, third all-time at K-State. Watch the preseason box scores for her boards-per-minute in limited minutes. Watch her shooting around the rim. Watch her defensive positioning against WNBA bigs.
Preseason 1 update (April 29 at Seattle, 81-91 loss): Williams went 1-of-1 from three for 3 points in limited minutes. Small sample, but the shot fell. The next look: May 3 vs the LA Sparks at Moda Center, 4 PM PT, on Rose City SportsNet (formerly FOX 12 Plus).
If she survives cuts, Williams comes home from two years in China to suit up at Moda Center for the May 9 opener. A Topeka, Kansas native playing WNBA basketball at the Fire's home arena. That is the kind of American-dream story that writes itself, and it depends entirely on the next three weeks of preseason.
Career Highlights
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Peyton Williams?
Peyton Williams is a forward signed by the Portland Fire as a free agent on April 15, 2026. Topeka, Kansas native. A top-10 all-time scorer at Kansas State (1,553 points, 9th), 3rd all-time in K-State rebounds (967), 5th in blocks. All-Big 12 First Team. Played two seasons in China for Wuhan Shengfan. Most recently: 12.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG at 58.4% FG. Portland is her first WNBA team.
What are Peyton Williams's career stats at Kansas State?
At K-State: 1,553 points (9th all-time), 967 rebounds (3rd), 119 blocks (5th), 585 FG made (10th), 333 FT made (5th). First K-State player with 1,500+ points, 900+ rebounds, 200+ assists, 150+ steals, and 100+ blocks career totals. All-Big 12 First Team selection.
Where has Peyton Williams played professionally?
Wuhan Shengfan (China WCBA) for two seasons. 2024-25: 15.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG at 61.1% FG. 2025-26: 12.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG at 58.4% FG in 29.9 minutes per game. Portland Fire signed her as a free agent on April 15, 2026. Portland is her first WNBA team.
Why did Portland Fire sign Peyton Williams?
Rebounding, efficiency, and frontcourt depth. Williams is a career 60%-ish shooter from the field in China, a proven rebounder at every level (967 at K-State, 9 per game in China), and a veteran pro. She gives Coach Sarama another option behind Carleton, Engstler, and Gustafson. She has to earn a final-roster spot through camp and preseason.
Is Peyton Williams the same person as Serah Williams?
No. Peyton Williams is a forward signed as a free agent (K-State alumna, played in China). Serah Williams is a 6-4 center acquired in a draft-night trade with Connecticut (UConn alumna, 2024 Big Ten DPOY). Different positions, different backgrounds, both on the Fire's 2026 training camp roster.