{"id":770226,"date":"2026-07-18T12:45:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/770226\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T12:45:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:45:29","slug":"alissa-pilis-wnba-comeback-is-just-beginning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/770226\/","title":{"rendered":"Alissa Pili’s WNBA comeback is just beginning"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It wasn\u2019t a question for Lynne Roberts or the Sparks. They were going to support Alissa Pili the whole way.<\/p>\n

It just worked out that she recovered in time to join the team when they needed, well, a spark.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of her,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cShe\u2019s in great shape physically. She looks good\u2026. I think for us, she can be a really good backup forward. She\u2019s just so strong. It\u2019s hard to articulate. We got big grown men as our practice guys, and they just bounce off her like pinballs and kind of look at her like, \u2018whoa!\u2019 Like she\u2019s just so strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last fall, Pili signed to play in Australia for the Geelong Venom following her short initial stint with the Sparks in hopes of sticking with a team once the CBA was settled.<\/p>\n

Two minutes into her first game with the Venom, she tore a ligament in her right ankle.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Minnesota Lynx forward Alissa Pili (35) warms up before the WNBA game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut, USA on September 17, 2024. Photo Credit: Chris Poss<\/p>\n

After two months, Pili returned and averaged 13 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in eight games with the Venom.<\/p>\n

Thinking she was in the clear, she went to Nashville for her second season with Athletes Unlimited, looking to make up for some of the lost offseason playing time.<\/p>\n

She averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 rebounds on 56% shooting and was looking to begin deciding where she would go in the WNBA.<\/p>\n

But back home in Alaska a month later, something was wrong.<\/p>\n

Her ankle was infected, and she would need another surgery, delaying the start to her WNBA campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was tough for sure,\u201d Pili said. \u201cThat\u2019s the longest I\u2019ve ever been out of basketball because of injury. But it was good I could be surrounded and supported by family while I was going through everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pili was a dominant player in college, starring for Roberts\u2019 Utes. She won the 2023 Pac-12 Player of the Year award and was a WBCA Coaches All-American, while Utah made it to the Sweet 16 and won a Pac-12 title. That all came after she was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year at USC.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving coached her, I know how to use her, and we will get into that more,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cBut she\u2019s still on DP, right? So we\u2019re limited in how many games\u2026 She can shoot, pass, and she\u2019s just so dang strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was drafted 8th overall by Minnesota in 2024 and played just over 6 minutes per game there before joining the Sparks for five games, averaging 3.2 points on 50% shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have something to prove,\u201d Pili said. \u201cI kind of play with a chip on my shoulder. With the development player contract, you only get a certain amount of games, so you have to prove yourself and take advantage of the opportunities given to you and maximize your time to get on the roster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Determined to get a chance in the WNBA in 2026, Pili rehabbed at home and went to Los Angeles in June, when the team was supporting her recovery while she worked with the trainers away from the team. When she was ready to play, they told her she would get the chance to be a development player.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I healed and was ready to amp it up a bit, I came to LA,\u201d she said. \u201cThe staff helped me do more to progress to get back on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sparks held Pili\u2019s rights after her short stint with the team last year, but didn\u2019t officially sign her to a developmental deal until she was ready to take the floor.<\/p>\n

Her first appearance was in a win over the Indiana Fever at Crypto.com<\/a> Arena, to a good applause. She played 12 minutes, scored 4 points and added five rebounds.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s hoping to make a leap to the regular roster; the Sparks already made that move once when they added Kate Martin.<\/p>\n

Pili adds something else as a physical forward with a whole lot of determination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just going to be who I am,\u201d Pili said. \u201cI like being a physical, strong player that can impact the game. That\u2019s going to be my mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site<\/a>, our podcast<\/a>, and our social media accounts on Twitter<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n