You’ve seen the movie. You know the story of the beads, the Compton courts, and the two youngest girls who basically took over the tennis world. But honestly, if you think the story of the Venus Williams sisters starts and ends with Serena, you’re missing the actual foundation of the whole dynasty.
People talk about Venus and Serena like they were a duo raised in a vacuum. They weren't. They were the babies of a pack of five.
While the world was busy obsessing over Richard Williams' "75-page plan," there were three other sisters—Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha—who were quite literally picking up the balls, keeping the peace, and making sure the future GOATs actually made it to the court.
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The Price Sisters: The Backbone of the Dynasty
Venus and Serena are the only children of Richard Williams and Oracene Price together. But before Richard came into the picture, Oracene was married to Yusef Rasheed. From that marriage came Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha.
They weren't just "half-sisters." That term kinda feels too clinical for how they lived. They grew up in the same cramped house in Compton. They shared beds. They shared dreams. More importantly, they shared the labor.
Isha Price once told The New York Times that she didn't even realize their lives weren't "normal" until she got to college. Imagine a childhood where your 10 p.m. bedtime is non-negotiable until you're 18 and your social life is basically non-existent because everything—literally everything—revolves around the tennis court.
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Isha Price: The Dealmaker
Isha didn't just stand on the sidelines. She went and got her law degree from Georgetown. If you look at the credits for the movie King Richard, you’ll see her name as a producer. She’s the one who often handles the complicated brand and contract management for her younger sisters. Venus has literally said Isha "saves her life" on the regular.
Lyndrea Price: The Eye for Style
Then there’s Lyndrea. If you’ve ever admired the outfits Venus wears for her brand EleVen, you’re looking at Lyndrea’s influence. She’s been deeply embedded in the fashion side of the Williams empire for years. She’s a creative powerhouse who helped translate the sisters' on-court dominance into a lifestyle brand that actually survives the fickle fashion world.
The Tragedy of Yetunde Price
We have to talk about Yetunde. It’s the part of the story that still brings Serena to tears in interviews. Yetunde was the oldest, the nurse, the salon owner, and the mother of three. She was the one who changed diapers and acted as a personal assistant to the girls when they first hit the pro tour.
In 2003, she was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Compton.
It was a case of mistaken identity. She was just sitting in an SUV with her boyfriend near a suspected drug house. The shooters thought they were defending their turf from rivals. They were wrong.
The loss nearly broke the family. You can see a shift in the sisters' careers around that time—a period of mourning that the public didn't always give them space for. In 2016, they opened the Yetunde Price Resource Center in Compton. It’s not just a plaque; it’s a place that helps people dealing with the exact kind of "senseless violence" that took their sister.
Why the "Sisterhood" Narrative Actually Matters
A lot of sports analysts love to focus on the rivalry. Venus vs. Serena. The 31 professional head-to-heads. The 9 Grand Slam finals where they had to look across the net at their best friend.
But the real story is how they survived it.
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The Venus Williams sisters (all five of them) were taught from day one that family is the only thing that's real. When Venus and Serena were being booed at Indian Wells in 2001—an event that led to a 14-year boycott—it wasn't just their father who stood up. It was the whole unit.
- Shared Role Models: They didn't look to TV for heroes; they looked to each other.
- Business Integration: They didn't hire "sharks"; they hired their sisters.
- Emotional Resilience: They have a built-in support system that understands the specific pressure of being a Black woman in a historically white, elite sport.
What Most People Miss About the Family Tree
If you dig into the archives, the family tree gets even wider. Richard Williams had other children from previous relationships—half-siblings like Sabrina, Reneeka, Richard III, and Chavoita LeSane. Chavoita actually produced a documentary about Richard called On The Line.
But the "Core Five" (Yetunde, Lyndrea, Isha, Venus, Serena) are the ones who lived the Compton-to-Florida pipeline. They are the ones who stayed in the room when the lights went out.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Researchers
If you're trying to understand the legacy of the Venus Williams sisters, don't just look at the trophy count.
- Watch the Credits: Next time you see a Williams sisters documentary or project, look for Isha Price’s name. She is the architect of their public narrative.
- Support the Resource Center: The Yetunde Price Resource Center is the best way to see how the family turned a private tragedy into a public service.
- Recognize the Labor: Understand that for every "ace" served on Center Court, there were years of older sisters feeding balls, managing schedules, and providing the emotional stability needed to stay at #1.
The Williams dynasty isn't just about two great athletes. It's about a group of women who refused to be divided, even when the world—and the scoreboard—tried to make them competitors.