Alissa Pili
Another day, another legend leapfrogged by Alissa Pili on Alaska’s all-time women’s basketball scoring list.
On Sunday, the Anchorage native dropped in 23 points to push her career total to 2,042 and pass former Nebraska All-American Kelsey Griffin (2,033) of Eagle River for third place on the list.
Pili powered 18th-ranked Utah’s upset of No. 7 USC 74-68 in Los Angeles as the Utes moved within one game of second place in the Pac-12 Conference with two games left in the regular season.
This was Utah’s fourth win over a top-10 team this season, including two over the Trojans, Pili’s former team.
The 6-foot-2 reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year made a victorious return to the Galen Center, where she called home for her first three seasons.
Pili hit 5-of-10 field goals and 12-of-14 free throws to go with nine rebounds and two steals for Utah (20-8).
.@KennadyMcqueen ➡️ @alissa_pili#NCAAWBB x 🎥 Pac-12 Network / @UTAHWBB pic.twitter.com/jF8jrJoePn
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) February 25, 2024
The former Dimond High star needs 68 points to pass former Central Methodist NAIA Player of the Year DaJonee Hale (2,109) of Anchorage for No. 2 on Alaska’s all-time scoring list.
Former Oregon All-American Ruthy Hebard of Fairbanks ranks No. 1 with 2,368 points.
This season, Pili has passed celebrated Alaskans on the scoring list like Jeannie Hebert of Miami, Talisa Rhea of Oregon State and Seattle U., Andrea Lloyd of Texas and Brit Jacobson of Kansas State.
Pili has taken her game to another level since 2022 when she arrived at Utah, where she has posted a career scoring average of 21.1 points in 59 games.
She also owns two of the top four single season scoring totals for an Alaska woman at the Division I level, with this year’s 604 points ranking No. 4. The only two players ahead of her went on to become top-10 WNBA draft picks.
685 – Kelsey Griffin, Nebraska 2009-10
652 – Ruthy Hebard, Oregon 2017-18
643 – Alissa Pili, Utah 2022-23
604 – Alissa Pili, Utah 2023-24
595 – Ruthy Hebard, Oregon 2018-19
Additional Article Sponsors:Alaska Airlines | Nicole Johnston | Richard Mize | Advanced Diagnostics, INC | Aktive Soles | Alaska Oil and Gas Association | Aspen Endodontics | Black-Smith, Bethard & Carlson, LLC. | BOSCO’s | Coho Financial Group | Continental Auto Group | Don Clary & Judy Besh | Glen Bailey | Invisalign-Ben Ward | JL Properties | Joey Caterinichio & Ja Dorris| Kathleen Navarre | Midas Alaska | Moose’s Tooth, Bear Tooth and Broken Tooth Brewing | Perkins Coie – Sarah & A.J. Schirack | R&M Consultants, Inc. | RE/MAX Dynamic Properties Kevin Taylor | Residential Mortgage | Seth Wickersham & Alison Overholt | Taylored Restoration | Korndrop Family Foundation | Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | Replacement Glass | Zareena and Allen Clendaniel | Foley & Pearson | UAA Seawolves | Tony and Carla Slaton Barker | Sportclips Haircuts | Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska | Alice & Gunnar Knapp | Amy and Jason Miller | Burgerfi | Charles Fedullo | Dan Rufner | Darren Lieb | Don Winchester | Donley Family | Dr. Justin Libby, DDS | Firetap | Harlow Robinson | Jason & Shannon Metrokin | Jim & Michelle Hajdukovich | Joe Alston | Kathie Bethard | Krispy Kreme | Kristopher Knauss | Loren Kroon | Mark and Jamie Johnson | Mark Silverman | On the Border | Pete Robinson | Rick Mystrom | Team Heat | Team Moriarty | The Conway Family | Todd Whited | Moria Smith | In memory of Drs. John & Elizabeth Tower | Peter Pounds | Multisport Training of Alaska/Lisa Keller |
