For the Love of the Game

Toccara Williams' love for the game of basketball came at a young age in Hollywood, FL. Her father, Carl Williams, was well known for being great at basketball and ruling the neighborhood street game.

"He is a street-ball legend...People have told me he had some great moves. They said he did a lot of "Pistol Pete-like" things...It's great because people say I play just like him," Toccara said in an interview with the Dallas Morning News while playing at Texas A&M.

Toccara’s father was killed when she was just 8-years old, but her father's legacy was carried out by the young star in the making.

Her uncle, Richard Williams, also instilled great play, toughness and skill in her game. Richard Williams was a star forward at Wichita State. His life was cut short as well, and he too was killed. Toccara was in ninth grade at the time.

With so much tragedy at a young age, Levetta Spencer, Toccara’s mother, made sure to teach her daughter the most IMPORTANT thing to hold onto is FAITH.

"I grew up with a teenage mother--she had me when she was 16-years old. My father was 17 at the time...she taught me The MOST IMPORTANT part of my story...none of this happens without FAITH," said Toccara. "My mom made sure I had a solid foundation in Faith before anything else. She has always told me to put God first no matter what. She still tells me that."

Toccara took the lessons taught by her mother, father and uncle forward with her from neighborhood hoops to intense competitive AAU ball in South Florida.

"I think I lost maybe 8 total games my entire high school career and won two state championships," she said.

Safe to say she knows how winning is done.

Toccara stood out and caught the eye of Texas A&M women's head basketball coach Peggie Gillom, formerly an assistant with the Houston Comets of the WNBA. Toccara would sign with the Aggie women's basketball team and is still the school and Big 12 all time steal leader (452), she holds the record for the most minutes played in school history (made or female), she recorded the schools first triple double, she led the nation in steals all four years, she’s the only player in NCAA history to have a steal and assist recorded in each game played and she’s also a SEC Legend. She was drafted to the WNBA to San Antonio in 2004.

"Texas A&M was home. I knew it was where I was supposed to be as soon as I stepped on campus...the core values at A&M were what would help take me to the top," said Toccara.

"Basketball, hard work ethic and faith were in my DNA...I not only wanted to represent my family but also the University in totality and for what A&M stands for."

"I want to be the best there is. Whatever that looks like and whatever that takes, I am going to do it. I was told nothing is just going to be given to you. You will have to work for it."

The core values instilled at Texas A&M carried over to the WNBA and are still representative of the person, worker and entrepreneur Toccara is today working at TM5 brokered by EXP. Toccara partners with fellow Aggie athlete Terrence Murphy.

"We knew each other-- I was the face of the womens basketball team and he was the face of the football team. We both had dreams of playing professionally, and we both did...for us to reconnect how we did (with real estate and EXP) it is phenomenal," said Toccara.

"Coach, there is no 'if this doesn't work out'..." is a mentality Toccara still has--whatever she sets her mind on she is going to make it happen with hard work and determination.

Toccara learned a lot about giving back at A&M by being a great selfless teammate and volunteering at the local Exit Teen Center in College Station. Further down in her career she started an organization called Sweet Rebound -- non profit geared towards the youth to use sports as a platform for education.

"That is how I got my opportunity. I utilized basketball to get an education at Texas A&M. I wanted to provide a way and hope for others."

Toccara went full time into real estate in 2020.

"Real Estate is just like being on the basketball court - assisting my teammates."

"Terrence and I always wanted to take our game to the highest level, and over time nothing has changed."

Toccara works hard to bring her teammates along with her and get others to the highest level. She is a certified mentor for EXP and hosts conferences such as TM5 South Takeover to help educate others.