Alissa Pili
The University of Utah has won the Alissa Pili Sweepstakes.
Five weeks after entering the transfer portal, the All-Pac-12 forward from Anchorage announced on Instagram that she will play for the Utes and stay in the Pac-12 Conference.
“Blessed to be a part of the Utah fam!!!,” Pili wrote on social media. “Huge thanks to God, my parents and new coaches for helping me find a home away from home. Can’t wait to begin the next chapter. Go Utes.”
Pili comes to Utah after spending the past three seasons (including a COVID year) at USC, where she averaged 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 63 career games for the Trojans.
The 6-foot playmaker is a luxury – a rugged post player with a shooter’s touch.
Pili, of Dimond High fame, has bagged 11 double-doubles and is one of two Alaskans to rack up as many as 32 points and 17 rebounds in a game at the NCAA Division I level.
Alissa Pili is such a great pickup for Utah.
— David Mendez-Yapkowitz (@Dave_Yapkowitz) April 22, 2022
She owns an 80-percent free-throw percentage on 214 career attempts and has knocked down 35 3-pointers.
In 2020, she was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 Team. She was a repeat selection in 2021.
In my interview with Pili last November, she expressed her fondness for the Pac-12.
“Man, it’s like no other,” she said. “I feel like it’s the best conference in the country.”
With staunch opponents like Stanford, Arizona, Oregon, Washington State and UCLA, there are no cupcakes in the Pac-12. Every game is a battle.
“The girls in this league are physical so you have to play like that all the time,” Pili said. “It’s improved my game a lot, especially playing against bigger players.”
On the flip side, the Pac-12’s premier teams have stuffed USC’s playoff dreams as the Trojans never advanced beyond the quarterfinals at the conference tournament in Pili’s three seasons.
Her desire to experience March Madness drove her to seek new scenery.
“My biggest goal would probably be making it to the NCAA Tournament,” Pili said.
