Manhattan, Kan. — It's easy to watch Gabby Williams display the eye-opening athleticism that made her an Olympic-caliber high jumper before she was able to legally drive a car and think of the UConn junior forward merely for her rather remarkable athletic achievements.

However, there is much more to the native of Sparks, Nevada than simply being able to soar over taller players to score in the lane or grab rebounds at will, although those talents will be on display when the top-ranked Huskies play at undefeated Kansas State on Sunday (2 p.m., FS1).

Coach Geno Auriemma referenced Williams' intelligence following a recent game at Notre Dame. He was not merely talking about her ability to read a play on the basketball court but the maturity she brings to various facets of her life.

"She is a very intelligent person, very intelligent, very active mentally, involved in what is going on in the world, very aware of everything that is happening around us socially, politically, she is just a great, great individual," Auriemma said after Williams joined Maya Moore, Stefanie Dolson and Kelly Faris as the only UConn players in the last 15 years to record at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Auriemma called Williams' 19-point, 12-rebound, 6-assist, 5-steal performance against Notre Dame "magnificent."

Kia Nurse, who is Williams' closest friend on the team, said it was "astounding."

Williams worked tirelessly since the end of the last season on so many aspects of her game in order to ease the burden following the graduation of All-Americans Moriah Jefferson, Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck. She feels great pride at being the team's leader in rebounds, assists and steals but also doesn't want her time in college to be all about merely just becoming a better basketball player.

"At the end of the day I am going to be a black female after basketball and all of that and so are my kids," Williams said. "I want to make sure every day that I am trying to make a difference, I am trying to stay involved. My dream is to be a community organizer and to work in the community, to make one person's life better.

"We definitely have a platform that nobody else has. I try to be as involved as possible on campus, I just want to make sure that at the end of the day when I walk off the court, I am a human and I have to live like that."

One of her favorite on-court activities comes when she teams with Nurse to give out prizes to fellow students after each home game. Off the court she is trying to give back in other ways.

"I work with the NAACP on campus, the Black Student Association and I also work with the Women's Center. One of my good friends is actually the vice president there," Williams said. "We just organize things as far as giving kids an outlet on campus. 'OK, we can all meet here, all be together' and sometimes that is good enough. Sometimes we just have meetings, we just talk about what is going on in the world and sometimes that motivates somebody else to get other people involved. We do a lot of community outreach. I haven't had as much time to (attend all the events) but I have been part of organizing it, going to juveniles and helping kids there."

As the most quotable player on this year's UConn team Williams had ample opportunities to bring attention to her various good works as well as her strong religious faith but only addresses those subjects when prodded.

She has received questions from fellow students why she stands with her arms grasped in front of her and her head bowed when the national anthem is played before each UConn game. Other than Nurse, a Canadian native, Williams is the only player on her team not to place her hand over her heart during the playing of the national anthem. Williams has prayed during the national anthems dating back to her high school days and has continued that process at UConn with the permission of her coaches.

"People have asked me if I am protesting but I am not," she said. "It is just my way of taking that moment and I am soaking in the environment and that is where I get my head together."