Alissa Pili
No. 35 – Utah Utes
PositionForward
LeaguePac-12 Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-06-08) June 8, 2001
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
High schoolDimond (Anchorage, Alaska)
College
  • USC (2019–2022)
  • Utah (2022–present)
Career highlights and awards

Alissa Katelina Pili (born June 8, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Utah Utes of the Pac-12 Conference. She previously played for the USC Trojans.

Early life and high school career

Pili was born in Anchorage, Alaska, to Heather and Billy Pili and is of Samoan and Alaska Native descent.[1] Her older brother, Brandon, played football for USC as a defensive lineman.[2] She played football as a lineman from third to eighth grade as the only girl in her league and started playing organized basketball at age eight.[1][2] She played for Dimond High School in Anchorage. As a freshman, Pili helped her team to a runner-up finish at the Class 4A state tournament.[1] She led Dimond to two state championships, set the Class 4A all-time scoring record and was a three-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year.[3] Pili won 13 state titles across all sports at Dimond, including four in volleyball, four in shot put, two in discus and one in wrestling. In her final two years of high school, she was named MaxPreps Female High School Athlete of the Year for her success in multiple sports, joining Missy Franklin as the only two-time recipients of the award.[4] Rated a five-star recruit by ESPN, she committed to playing college basketball for USC.[5]

College career

Pili entered her freshman season at USC as the team's starting forward.[6] On February 23, 2020, she recorded a career-high 32 points and 12 rebounds in a 66–60 win over Washington State.[7] As a freshman, Pili averaged 16.3 points and eight rebounds per game, and was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while making the All-Pac-12 Team.[8] She missed the first 10 games of her sophomore season with an ankle injury.[9] Pili averaged 11 points and 3.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore, earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention.[10] In her junior season, she averaged 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, before entering the transfer portal.[8] She transferred to Utah for her fourth season.[11] Pili was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and earned All-Pac-12 honors after leading her team to a share of the conference regular season title.[12] She was a second-team All-American selection by the Associated Press and the United States Basketball Writers Association, and made the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coaches' All-America team. In her first season at Utah, she averaged 20.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Villa, Walter (August 17, 2016). "Alissa Pili makes a strong case that a game-changing recruit resides in Alaska". ESPN. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Drew, Jay (January 17, 2023). "USC transfer Alissa Pili powers Utah women's basketball to new heights". Deseret News. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  3. ↑ Carreon, Joey (March 18, 2019). "Alissa Pili leaves her mark as one of Dimond High's greatest athletes". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  4. ↑ Williams, Aaron (June 11, 2019). "2018-19 MaxPreps Female High School Athlete of the Year: Alissa Pili". MaxPreps. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Alissa Pili 2019 High School Girls' Basketball Profile". ESPN. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Pili delivers double-double in first college game with USC". Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. November 5, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Pili scores 32, becomes sixth Alaska woman to net 30 at D1 level". Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Furlong, Josh (January 25, 2023). "Alissa Pili found her 'joy' of basketball again, and what a change has meant to her game". KSL Sports. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  9. ↑ Bragg, Beth (February 11, 2021). "Sidelined for 10 games with an injury, Anchorage basketball player Alissa Pili returns to form". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ Jasper, Adam; Kregorian, Georgina (October 7, 2021). "Five women's basketball players to watch this year". Daily Trojan. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  11. ↑ Graham, Pat (January 5, 2023). "Transfer Alissa Pili leading way as No. 8 Utah starts 14-0". Associated Press. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  12. ↑ Drew, Jay (February 28, 2023). "Co-champion Utes well-represented on Pac-12's All-Conference honors list". Deseret News. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  13. ↑ Bodkin, Michelle (March 30, 2023). "Utah Women's Basketball Star Alissa Pili Named WBCA All-American". KSL Sports. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
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