June 14, 2023 – The Charlotte Hornets announced today that center Mark Williams has undergone successful surgery to address a torn ligament in his right thumb. Williams is expected to make a full recovery and further updates on his status will be provided as appropriate.
Williams made 43 appearances (17 starts) in his rookie campaign, tallying 9.0 points in 19.3 minutes per game. Among rookies last season, Williams finished second in blocks per game (1.0), third in field goal percentage (.637), fourth in rebounds per game (7.1) and fifth in double-doubles (11). He is one of 10 rookies since 1999-2000 to record a 20-point game, a 20-rebound game and a five-block game in a season.
Prior to the NBA, Williams played two seasons (2020-22) at Duke University. As a sophomore, he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and garnered All-ACC Third Team honors after leading the conference in blocks per game (2.8) and 2-point percentage (.723). The Hornets selected Williams with the 15th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.