ALBANY, NY – Dyson Williams was born to be a star in the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
“I’ve been around lacrosse and the NLL my entire life, and it was a dream of mine to play in this league since I can remember,” said Dyson, the #1 Overall Pick in the 2023 NLL Draft by the Albany FireWolves.
He attended his first NLL game at only a week old when his father Shawn Williams, a member of the NLL Hall of Fame and current Las Vegas Desert Dogs head coach, was playing for the Buffalo Bandits. 25 Years later, Dyson is the winner of the 2024-2025 NLL Rookie of the Year Award. The highlight of his first season was a true full circle moment as he scored the overtime game winning goal on a behind the back shot to defeat the Buffalo Bandits this past March at MVP Arena.
“It is very special getting my rookie season under my belt,” said Dyson. “I can’t thank my family, teammates, and coaches enough for helping me get here.”
During the 2024-2025 NLL season, Dyson led all NLL rookies in every offensive scoring category with 65 points on 26 goals and 39 assists. The Oshawa, ON native scored 8 power play goals and also picked up 45 loose balls on the season.
“You saw the progression of Dyson getting better every game of the season,” said Glenn Clark, general manager and head coach of the Albany FireWolves. “He was a better version of himself at the end of the year then at the beginning and that’s what you hope for in a rookie.”
Relive some of the 2024-2025 NLL Rookie of the Year’s best highlights below:
Dyson carries his family’s legacy and the memory of his younger brother Tucker with him every time he steps on the floor.
Tucker Williams passed away from Burkitt’s Lymphoma in 2014 at 8 years old. Dyson was able to honor his brother as he played in a Tucker Out Lymphoma game for the first time in Albany on January 4th against his father Shawn and the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. He would play in another Tucker Out Lymphoma game in Buffalo against the Bandits on February 1st, which also happened to be Tucker’s birthday, in the place that means so much to the Williams family.
“I can’t remember a rookie having to deal with so many expectations on and off the floor as Dyson had,” said Clark, who played with Dyson’s father Shawn during his NLL playing career. “I think people forget how much was put on him not only as the #1 Pick, but also as this ambassador for the Tucker Out Lymphoma campaign for his brother. I was really impressed with his character, how he conducted himself, and how he managed those emotions all season long.”
Dyson contributed to the FireWolves offense with consistent goal scoring, great passing, hard working play to get loose balls, and getting back on defense when necessary. His biggest moments came when Albany needed it most during their late season push to try and make the postseason. First, the rookie stepped up to deliver a game winning goal against the Georgia Swarm with only a minute remaining. A week later he would have his Rookie of the Year moment with an unbelievable behind the back shot that gave Albany the overtime victory over the Buffalo Bandits.
Williams was also an important part of the FireWolves outreach in the Capital Region community as he made an impact off the floor at school visits and clinics throughout the season. He quickly became a FireWolves fan favorite with his high energy style of play and flair for the dramatic. He will be a key part of Albany making a return to the playoffs in the 2025-2026 season.
“After falling short of the playoffs this year, we have a hungry group of guys that are already fired up for next year,” said Dyson. “I’m excited to come back and take all the experiences we had from this season to come back better. Our team has a young core with veteran leaders to show us the way.”
This is only the beginning for one of lacrosse’s brightest young stars and the FireWolves are fortunate to have #51 making his dreams come true in Albany.
Season ticket deposits for the 2025-2026 season have begun! For more information, visit www.albanyfirewolves.com or call/text the FireWolves front office at 518-675-8678 to avoid fees and save 30-70% on tickets.
About Albany FireWolves
The Albany FireWolves is the Capital Region’s very own Professional Box Lacrosse team, playing in the National Lacrosse League out of the MVP Arena in downtown Albany, NY. For more information, contact the Albany FireWolves Front Office at (518) 675-8678 or visit AlbanyFireWolves.com. Follow the team on Facebook at facebook.com/AlbFireWolves, Twitter @AlbFireWolves, and Instagram @AlbFireWolves.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 14 franchises across the United States and Canada: Albany FireWolves, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, Ottawa Black Bears, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find @NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About MVP Arena
MVP Arena is a full-service entertainment and sports facility featuring a wide variety of family shows, sporting events, trade shows and concerts. Owned by Albany County and managed by ASM Global, MVP Arena opened in 1990 and is home to the Albany FireWolves of the National Lacrosse League, the Albany Firebirds of the AFL 1 Arena Football League and the Division I Men’s College Basketball Siena Saints. For more information, please visit https://www.mvparena.com/
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