Minnesota adds Kiki Jefferson in the third round
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – On Monday, the Minnesota Lynx selected Alissa Pili from the University of Utah with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Lynx later chose the University of Louisville’s Kiki Jefferson in the third round (31st overall) to complete the evening.
Pili (PEE-lee), a 6-2 forward, split her five-year college career between USC and Utah, earning All-Pac-12 honors three times and being named the conference’s Player of the Year in 2022-23 and Freshman of the Year in 2019-20. She averaged 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this past season, shooting 55.0% from the floor, 40.4% (57-for-141) from three-point range and 82.0% from the free throw line. The Anchorage, Alaska native tallied 30+ points five times in 2023-24, highlighted by a career-best 37-point effort vs. South Carolina on Dec. 10, and added 35 points in Utah’s NCAA Tournament loss at Gonzaga on Mar. 25. At the conclusion of her senior campaign, Pili garnered All-America Second Team honors by The Athletic and All-American Third Team by AP, Sporting News and USBWA and was named a finalist for the Wooden Award Top 15 and the Katrina McClain Award Top 5.
“Alissa adds a skill set that we felt our team needed,” said Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations Cheryl Reeve, “Her overall shooting efficiency is a valuable add to our roster and we look forward to acclimating her into the Lynx.”
Jefferson, a 6-1 guard from Lancaster, Pa., played four seasons at James Madison before transferring to Louisville for the 2023-24 campaign. She was named the Sun Belt Conference’s Player of the Year in 2022-23 after netting 18.3 points (42.9%), 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 34 contests, and earned All-ACC Second Team honors following a 2023-24 season that saw her lead Louisville in scoring (12.3 points per game) while adding 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists and shooting 46.6% from the field, 34.9% from beyond the arc and 88.4% from the line. During the final year of her collegiate career, Jefferson was recognized as a Top 10 Finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award.
“Kiki is an all-around good basketball player who impacts the game in a variety of ways,” said Reeve. “She scores, rebounds and can pass. We are excited to welcome her to Minnesota.”
