Candice Williams Celtics: 5 Facts To Know About The Female Staff

Candice Williams earned her doctorate in 2017 after graduating from Sam Houston State University in 2011. Williams’ focus at university was on researching mental health issues in elite athletes.

It’s no surprise that the Boston Celtics hired her given her impressive credentials. Despite the loss in the Finals, the team had a fantastic season, and there is no doubt that she can help the players even more. Her professional connection to Ime Udoka is unknown at this time. However, they had to have spent some time together during the offseason. After all, Udoka is an important member of the team and must be aware of how his teammates are feeling.

Candice Williams, along with Ashley Battle (Scout) and Allison Feaster (Vice President of Player Development & Organizational Growth), is one of the Celtics’ three female staff members, which is why she’s been linked to Ime Udoka.

• She Wanted To Go To Music School: From the first day of medical school, she knew she wanted to attend music school, specifically the Berklee School of Music. Regardless, she resolved to concentrate on academic excellence. She even made an impression on my professors by asking sophisticated and intelligent questions after lectures. She frequently communicated with my Cardiology professor during my first and second years. She attended the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, California, her first year, which was a music industry trade show. She was walking through the halls with her drummer boyfriend (now husband) when she surprised herself by approaching her Cardiology professor.  He became a lifelong drummer, and they started a friendship when he learned about my interests in piano and music-making. She discovered that things that appear to be opposed to each other could be linked as we learn later in life, but we don’t know why at the moment. This experience teaches us that none of our circumstances is random, and we must trust that God will bring everything together at the right time.
• She Finds Music As An Inspiration: Music is a complete source of inspiration for me because it transports my mind and heart to a place where I am encouraged and free to dream. She uses music for meditation, relaxation, and visualizing healing to help me cope with my journey with Chronic Pain. She wants to share the synergy of music and medicine in a way that fully incorporates the two after releasing songs for healing and relaxation. She is currently working on programs to assist those suffering from mental health, sleep, and pain issues in incorporating music into their care routines. Music improves mental focus and clarity and relieves stress and pain. People require a connection to others in a live forum to express themselves, as well as safe spaces to heal themselves to become more compassionate. She is working on incorporating poetry and visual arts into live music sessions to encourage expression and release in a safe environment. She is thrilled to finally be able to share both aspects of her knowledge with the world in a way that empowers people to heal themselves.
• She Is Full Of Confidence: She believes that lack of confidence prevents us from shining. Believing in oneself is essential for fully expressing oneself and offering one’s gifts. Listening to the right song improves mood and confidence.
• She Needs Peace: She accepts that one in every four people suffers from mental health issues. Ten minutes of music listening improves focus and stress management. Developing a daily habit of listening to music as self-care is one of the best habits one can form.
• Develops Tools For Transformation: Effective self-expression is essential for personal and professional development. At any age, learning to express yourself through music can help you discover your voice and what makes you unique. This has the potential to change how you see yourself and how you affect others. Pain medication alternatives are critical because opioid pain medications, in particular, have unfavorable side effects and the potential to become addictive. Relaxation music serves as a distraction and aids in the relief of stress and pain without the use of medications or injections.

Since 2010, Udoka has been dating actress Nia Long; the two are parents to a 10-year-old boy.

According to sources who spoke to PEOPLE, Ime Udoka, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, is considering a suspension after being accused of having an intimate relationship with a member of the team’s staff.

According to ESPN, which broke the news first, the engaged head coach’s relationship with the staff member is viewed as a breach of team policies. Information on the disciplinary penalty might be released as soon as Thursday. Since they first met in 2010, Udoka has been in a relationship with actress Nia Long from the Fatal Affair. The two are parents to 10-year-old Kez Sunday, and in May 2015, they officially announced their engagement.

According to ESPN, the organization is reportedly considering suspending Udoka for the entirety of the 2022–23 season, but insiders say it’s doubtful that his job is in danger long-term. The Celtics’ home opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 18 is still one month away. 

Former basketball player Udoka, 45, has had a fruitful second career as an NBA coach. He worked with head coach Gregg Popovich for seven years while with the San Antonio Spurs, who won a championship in 2014.

Udoka worked as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers after departing the team in 2019. He became the Celtics’ head coach in 2021, and in his first season in charge, he guided the team to the NBA Finals in 2022. His second year with the team was to begin this one. In six games, Boston lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals last season. However, the club, which was making its first Finals appearance since 2010, saw a significant improvement.

Nearly ten years have passed since Long, 51, and Udoka engaged. They felt at ease without having a wedding ceremony, and she told Essence in 2020. The Boston Globe claims that the couple first connected in Boston in February 2010. When they were both in the city Udoka, who was then playing for the Sacramento Kings against the Boston Celtics, and Long, who was filming a pilot for NBC, a mutual friend linked them up.

The couple told PEOPLE in 2011 that they were expecting their first child together.  When Long released a video of herself dancing in celebration after Udoka and the Celtics were assured of their trip to the 2022 NBA Finals, the video quickly went viral. “Yes!!!” Almost 3 million people have seen the video on Twitter since it was posted in May last year.

Udoka reportedly had an “improper personal and consenting connection with a female member of the team staff,” according to Shams Charania of The Athletic early Thursday morning. Wojnarowski pointed out that Udoka’s conduct went against company policy. 

According to Wojnarowski, Joe Mazzulla, the assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, has emerged as Udoka’s most likely replacement.

The 34-year-old joined Boston’s coaching staff in 2019. He played for West Virginia from 2006 to 2011 and was a part of the Mountaineers’ Final Four-bound 2009–10 squad. He formerly held the positions of the head coach and assistant coach at Fairmont State, and he also worked as an assistant coach for the G League’s Maine Celtics.

Will Hardy would have been the logical choice for interim head coach had the Jazz not hired him to replace Quin Snyder in June. Hardy was the top assistant on Udoka’s staff during the 2021–22 season. According to reports, Utah spoke with Mazzulla before choosing Hardy.