Kristine Anigwe

Kristine Anigwe (born March 31, 1997) is an English-born Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Kristine Anigwe
Anigwe in 2019
No. 31 – Los Angeles Sparks
PositionCenter / Power forward
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1997-03-31) March 31, 1997
London, United Kingdom
NationalityNigerian / American / British
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Career information
High schoolDesert Vista (Phoenix, Arizona)
CollegeCalifornia (2015–2019)
WNBA draft2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
Selected by the Connecticut Sun
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019Connecticut Sun
2019Dallas Wings
2020–presentLos Angeles Sparks
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Kristine Anigwe was born in London to Nigerian parents, Christopher and Annette Anigwe.[1] She and her siblings were raised in Phoenix, Arizona and attended Desert Vista High School. At age 17, Anigwe became a U.S. citizen in June 2014.[2]

In her upperclassman years, Anigwe won two consecutive FIBA age group World Championships competing for the United States, first with the under-17s in 2014 and then with the under-19s in 2015. Anigwe scored in double figures in all 27 games for Desert Vista in her senior season, leading the state with 21.1 points and 13.3 rebounds per game and registering 17 double-doubles.[3]

College career

Before her junior year of high school, Anigwe accepted an offer to play college basketball for the California Golden Bears.[3] She will major in sociology at UC Berkeley.[4]

Freshman season

In her first season with California in 2015–16, Anigwe won eight consecutive Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week honors. She led the Golden Bears in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, field goals made, blocks, free throws made, and free throw attempts.[5] Anigwe was voted to the 2016 Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Tournament All-Tournament Team, and she was named the women's USBWA National Freshman of the Year following the season.[6]

Sophomore season

Anigwe's success continued as a sophomore, as she became the first player in California history to average 20 points per game in consecutive seasons.[5] On December 8, 2016, Anigwe recorded the first 50-point game in Golden Bears history, scoring 50 in only 24 minutes against Sacramento State.[7] A month later, on January 8, she became the fastest player in Pac-12 history to reach 1,000 points, hitting the milestone in a loss to eventual Elite Eight participant Oregon.[5] Anigwe continued to lead the Golden Bears in points and rebounds, also leading in field goal percentage and blocks.

For the second consecutive year, Anigwe was named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. Anigwe saw her first NCAA Tournament action, in which the Golden Bears narrowly defeated LSU before falling to No. 1 seed Baylor.

Junior season

Anigwe registered 28 points and 25 rebounds in a win against Brown on November 19, 2017, achieving the first 25-25 game in Division I women's basketball in three years.[8]

For the third consecutive season, Anigwe led California in points and rebounds as a junior, and was named to the All-Pac-12 Team. She was also a late season nominee for the 2018 Wade Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith College Player of the Year, and Katrina McClain Awards.[5] California were upset in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament by Virginia.

Senior season

As a senior in 2018–19, Anigwe posted career highs in points (22.3) and rebounds per game (16.2), leading the country in rebounds.[9] She became the third California Golden Bear to score 2,000 career points on December 2, 2018 in a win against Cal State Northridge.[10]

Anigwe set multiple school and conference records during her senior season. On February 8 and 10, 2019, Anigwe broke California's scoring and rebounding records in consecutive home losses to Oregon State and Oregon.[11]

In her final regular-season college game on March 3, 2019 at Washington State, Anigwe scored 32 points and added 30 rebounds. In doing so, she both set the Pac-12 women's rebounding record, and became the first Division I player since 2002 to record 30 points and rebounds in a single game.[12]

Anigwe and California received an at-large big to the 2019 NCAA Tournament, in which they defeated North Carolina before falling to eventual national champions Baylor.

Following the season, Anigwe was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.[13]

Professional career

Connecticut Sun (2019)

Anigwe was selected ninth overall in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun.[14]

Dallas Wings (2019-2020)

On August 6, 2019, Anigwe was traded to the Dallas Wings in exchange for Theresa Plaisance.[15]

Los Angeles Sparks

On May 26, 2020, Anigwe was traded to The Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for a second round 2021 draft pick.[16]

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References
  1. Almond, Elliott (January 9, 2017). "Cal's Kristine Anigwe scoring big in Berkeley". The Mercury News. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  2. "Cal Freshman Sensation Kristine Anigwe is an All-Around Force". Sports Illustrated for Kids. March 15, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  3. Killian, Tyler (March 22, 2015). "Desert Vista's Kristine Anigwe stands above all others this girls hoops season". azcentral.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  4. Hickey, John (March 22, 2019). "Doctor on the court: Kristine Anigwe's surgical brand of basketball". Berkeley News. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  5. "Kristine Anigwe". University of California Golden Bears Athletics. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  6. "UCONN'S STEWART WINS THIRD ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE AWARD". United States Basketball Writers Association. April 3, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  7. "Kristine Anigwe first Cal player ever to score 50 points in game". ESPN. December 9, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  8. Associated Press (November 19, 2017). "Anigwe has 28 and 25, No. 20 Cal women hold off Brown 89-79". USA Today. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  9. "Kristine Anigwe". Pac-12. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  10. "Bears Roll In Anigwe's Milestone Night". University of California Golden Bears Athletics. December 2, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  11. Simmons, Rusty (February 10, 2019). "Another Kristine Anigwe record; another hard-fought Cal loss". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  12. "Anigwe Sets Rebounding Record". University of California Golden Bears Athletics. March 3, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  13. Maiman, Beth (April 7, 2019). "Cal's Kristine Anigwe wins Naismith defensive Player of the Year award". NCAA.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  14. Stacy, Kelli (April 10, 2019). "Connecticut Sun draft Kristine Anigwe in the 2019 WNBA Draft". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  15. "Wings Acquire Kristine Anigwe from Sun for Theresa Plaisance". wnba.com. WNBA. August 6, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  16. "Sparks acquire kristine anigwe from dallas wings". wnba.com. WNBA. May 26, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
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