Alissa Pili

Pili, the No. 8 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, finished her collegiate career with two seasons at Utah after spending her first three years at USC. The 6-foot-2 forward showcased a fantastic shooting stroke for a frontcourt player, shooting over 40 percent from deep in both years as a Ute. She also shot 82 percent from the free-throw line and 55 percent from the floor in 2023-24 en route to averaging 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 28.6 minutes, marking her second straight campaign with at least 20 points, five boards and two assists. Pili was also an opportunistic defender in college, posting 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game for her career. Napheesa Collier is an MVP candidate and will lead Minnesota in 2024, but the Lynx will be without Jessica Shepard, which opens up more playing time. Dorka Juhasz and Diamond Miller should have clear paths to consistent roles after solid rookie seasons last year, leaving Pili to compete with Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith for a rotational role.