Kristine Anigwe facts for kids
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Anigwe in 2019
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| Free Agent | |
|---|---|
| Center / power forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 31, 1997 London, England |
| Nationality | British / American |
| High school | Desert Vista (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | California (2015–2019) |
| NBA Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall |
| Selected by the Connecticut Sun | |
| Pro career | 2019–present |
| League | WNBA |
| Career history | |
| 2019 | Connecticut Sun |
| 2019 | Dallas Wings |
| 2019–2020 | İzmit Belediyespor |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2020–2022 | Çukurova Basketbol |
| 2021 | Dallas Wings |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2022 | Phoenix Mercury |
| 2022–2023 | Virtus Eirene Ragusa |
| 2023 | Chicago Sky |
| 2023 | Connecticut Sun |
| 2023–present | SERCO UNI Győr |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Kristine Chioma Anigwe (born March 31, 1997) is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays for SERCO UNI Győr in the EuroLeague, which is a top basketball league in Europe. Kristine is known for her skills as a center and power forward on the court.
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Kristine's Early Life and Basketball Start
Kristine Anigwe was born in London, England. Her parents are from Nigeria. She and her brothers and sisters grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She went to Desert Vista High School there. When she was 17, Kristine became a U.S. citizen in June 2014.
During her high school years, Kristine played for the U.S. national basketball team. She helped them win two world championships! First, she won with the under-17 team in 2014. Then, she won with the under-19 team in 2015. In her final year of high school, Kristine scored at least 10 points in every game. She led her state with 21.1 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. She also had 17 "double-doubles," which means she got double-digit numbers in two different stats (like points and rebounds) in the same game.
College Basketball Journey
Before her third year of high school, Kristine decided to play college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley. She planned to study sociology there.
Freshman Year Success (2015-2016)
In her first year at California, Kristine was amazing! She won the "Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week" award eight times in a row. This award goes to the best first-year player each week. She led her team in many important stats like points, rebounds, and blocks. After the season, she was named the "USBWA National Freshman of the Year." This means she was recognized as the best first-year player in the entire country!
Sophomore Year Highlights (2016-2017)
Kristine continued to shine in her second year. She became the first player in California's history to score 20 points per game in two years in a row. On December 8, 2016, she made history by scoring 50 points in just 24 minutes against Sacramento State. This was the first time any Golden Bears player had scored 50 points in a game! A month later, she became the fastest player in the Pac-12 conference to reach 1,000 career points. She kept leading her team in points, rebounds, and blocks. Kristine also played in her first NCAA tournament, which is a big national competition for college teams.
Junior Year Achievements (2017-2018)
In her third year, Kristine had another incredible game. On November 19, 2017, she scored 28 points and grabbed 25 rebounds against Brown. This was the first time in three years that a Division I women's basketball player had achieved a "25-25 game" (25 points and 25 rebounds). For the third year in a row, Kristine led her team in points and rebounds. She was also nominated for several major national awards, like the Wade Trophy and the Naismith College Player of the Year.
Senior Year Records (2018-2019)
As a senior, Kristine had her best year yet. She scored a career-high 22.3 points per game and led the entire country with 16.2 rebounds per game. On December 2, 2018, she became only the third California Golden Bear player to score 2,000 career points.
Kristine broke many school and conference records during her senior season. On March 3, 2019, in her last regular-season college game, she scored 32 points and grabbed an amazing 30 rebounds! By doing this, she set a new Pac-12 women's rebounding record. She also became the first Division I player since 2002 to record 30 points and 30 rebounds in a single game. After the season, Kristine was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. This award goes to the best defensive player in college basketball.
Professional Basketball Career
Kristine Anigwe was chosen ninth overall in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun. The WNBA draft is where professional teams pick new players from college.
She has played for several teams in the WNBA. In 2019, she was traded from the Connecticut Sun to the Dallas Wings. In 2020, she moved to the Los Angeles Sparks. After playing for both the Wings and Sparks again in 2021, Kristine signed with her hometown team, the Phoenix Mercury, in 2022.
In 2023, she briefly played for the Chicago Sky. Later that year, she returned to the Connecticut Sun, signing a few short-term contracts. Kristine has also played for teams overseas, including İzmit Belediyespor and Çukurova Basketbol. She currently plays for SERCO UNI Győr in Europe.
