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Gianna Kneepkens

Gianna Kneepkens is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Utah Utes and UCLA Bruins.

Early life and high school career
Gianna Kneepkens was born in Duluth, Minnesota to Donald and Betsy Kneepkens. The youngest of six siblings, Kneepkens grew up playing basketball against her five older brothers. She played for Marshall School in Duluth. As a varsity starter beginning in eighth grade, Kneepkens helped her team to two consecutive Minnesota State Tournament appearances. During her senior year, she led the nation in points per game, scoring a Minnesota state-record 43.1 points per game. She also averaged 13.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 5.7 steals. In her final high school game, Kneepkens scored 67 points, all-time single-game record in Minnesota. She earned numerous accolades including being named a Ms. Basketball Finalist and earning the 2021 Gatorade Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year award, joining Paige Bueckers who won the award the year before. ==College career==
College career
Freshman season Kneepkens made her debut for the Utes on November 10, 2021, against Lipscomb University. She later earned a starting role after coming off the bench and scoring 29 points against in-state rival BYU on December 4, 2021. During the season, Kneepkens went on to average 11.8 points per game, shooting 38.4% from the 3-point line and 87.1% from the free-throw line. She was again named to the All-Pac-12 team and was named a WBCA Coaches' Honorable Mention All-American. She started in 8 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. She averaged 17.8 points per game, shooting a career-high 63.3% from the field and 54.0% from the 3-point line. She also reached 1,000 career points in just 62 games. She was granted a redshirt season by the NCAA for her injury. She returned to play November 4, 2024, scoring a team-high 18 points against Southern Utah. On January 22, 2025, she posted a career high of 30 points, almost achieving a triple double with 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while shooting 66.7% from the field and setting a career high six 3-pointers (54.5%) in a 79-61 win over Kansas. In the same week against school rival’s BYU, she set a new career high of 32 points, making six 3-point shots (85.7%) and recording eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals, leading the team to an 81-76 victory. Based on these performances, she earned Big 12 women's basketball Player of the Week. Kneepkens finished the regular season as a member of the 50–40–90 club, shooting 51.3% from the field, 45.3% from three-point range, and 90.5% from the free-throw line in 29 games, a feat achieved by only five players at the Power Four level. She was ultimately named First-team All-Big 12 and the 2025 Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. Following the conclusion of the 2024–2025 season, Kneepkens announced she was entering into the NCAA transfer portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining. She was noted as one of the top transfer prospects in the nation, making official visits to Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and UCLA. Senior season On May 1, 2025, Kneepkens announced she would transfer to UCLA for her final year of eligibility. Prior to the season, she was named to the preseason watchlist for the 2026 Naismith Trophy College Women's Player of the Year and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. She made her debut for UCLA on November 3, 2025 in a win over San Diego State University. In the final game of the 2025–26 regular season, Kneepkens scored 14 points in a win over rival University of Southern California, surpassing 2,000 career points and becoming, along with teammate Charlisse Leger-Walker, one of two Bruins to reach the milestone in the same game. The victory capped UCLA’s 28–1 overall record and perfect 18–0 Big Ten mark, making the Bruins the first team to complete an undefeated Big Ten season since Maryland in 2014–15 and secured the program the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Conference tournament. == Professional career ==
Professional career
On April 13, 2026, Kneepkens was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the Connecticut Sun in the 2026 WNBA draft. ==Career statistics==
Personal life
In 2023 and 2025, Kneepkens attended Kelsey Plum's Dawg Class, an Under Armour-sponsored camp to help top women college athletes transition from collegiate to professional basketball. ==References==
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