Leilani Mitchell facts for kids
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Mitchell with the Mercury in 2019
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| No. 5 – Southside Flyers | |||||||||||||||||
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| Point guard | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | June 15, 1985 Richland, Washington, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American / Australian | ||||||||||||||||
| High school | Kennewick (Kennewick, Washington) |
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| Listed height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 138 lb (63 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 25th overall | ||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Phoenix Mercury | |||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2008–present | ||||||||||||||||
| League | WNBL | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008-2013 | New York Liberty | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2012 | ASPTT Arras | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | ŽKK Novi Zagreb | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Dandenong Rangers | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Sydney Uni Flames | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Phoenix Mercury | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Adelaide Lightning | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Washington Mystics | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Sydney Uni Flames | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Phoenix Mercury | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Canberra Capitals | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Southside Flyers | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Washington Mystics | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Bendigo Spirit | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023–present | Southside Flyers | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Leilani Seamah Mitchell (born June 15, 1985) is an American-Australian professional basketball player. She plays as a point guard for the Southside Flyers in Australia's Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). Leilani was picked 25th in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury.
She has dual citizenship for both the United States and Australia. Leilani is a key player for the Australian women's national basketball team, known as the Opals. In 2019, she made history in the WNBA. She became the first player to win the WNBA Most Improved Player Award twice.
Leilani was also part of the Opals team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The team played hard but lost to the USA in the quarterfinals. This meant they were out of the competition.
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Leilani's Early Life and Family
Leilani Mitchell was born in Richland, Washington, in the United States. She is the only daughter of Dennis Mitchell and Eleanor Majid. Her father is American, and her mother was Australian. Leilani has five brothers: Tyler, Troy, Travis, Reggie, and Robbie.
Because of her parents' backgrounds, Leilani has citizenship in both the USA and Australia. Sadly, her mother passed away from cancer in 2009.
High School Basketball Journey
Leilani attended Kennewick High School in Kennewick, Washington. She was a starting player for all four years of high school. Leilani was recognized as a top player in her junior and senior years. She was named first-team all-state and all-conference.
In her senior year, she earned the Big Nine Conference Player of the Year award. Leilani led Kennewick High School to the state championship games four times in a row. Her team even won the state title in 2000.
College Basketball Career
Playing for the Idaho Vandals
Leilani played college basketball for the Idaho Vandals from 2003 to 2006. During her time at Idaho, she was named the 2004 Big West Freshman of the Year. She also set many school records.
Leilani finished her time at Idaho with impressive stats. She ranked fifth in total points scored (1,471). She was also second in assists (504) and first in steals (323).
Transferring to the Utah Utes
After Idaho, Leilani transferred to the University of Utah. She had to sit out the 2006–07 season due to NCAA rules. She then played for the Utah Utes in the 2007–08 season.
In her single season at Utah, Leilani helped the Utes achieve a great 27–5 record. She made 240 assists, which was the second-highest in the program's history. Leilani won the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year award. This was decided by both coaches and the media. She ended her college career as one of only six NCAA Division I players to reach 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 300 steals.
Leilani's Professional Basketball Life
Leilani Mitchell was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2008 WNBA draft. She was the 25th player chosen overall. Before the season started, she was traded to the New York Liberty.
She began as a player coming off the bench. But on June 6, 2008, Leilani made her first professional start. She scored 18 points in that game, making all her shots. Fans quickly noticed her fearless playing style. She was known for diving for loose balls and driving strongly to the basket.
Rising Star in the WNBA
The 2010 WNBA season was a big year for Leilani. She became the regular starting point guard for the Liberty. She averaged 9.3 points and 3.8 assists per game. Leilani also led the league in three-point shooting percentage (48.6%). She scored over 20 points for the first time against the Tulsa Shock.
Her amazing performance earned her the 2010 WNBA Most Improved Player Award. In 2011, she scored a career-high 24 points in a game against the Minnesota Lynx.
Returning to the Phoenix Mercury
In 2014, Leilani took a break from the WNBA to spend time with her family in Australia. She then signed with the Phoenix Mercury in 2015. On June 12, she scored a new career-high of 25 points against the Indiana Fever. She made 7 out of 10 three-point shots in that game.
Leilani also hit a game-winning three-pointer in overtime against the Los Angeles Sparks. Later, she made another buzzer-beating three-pointer to win a game against the Connecticut Sun. In 2016, she played briefly for the Washington Mystics. She returned to the Phoenix Mercury in 2017.
Making History with a Second Most Improved Player Award
In 2019, Leilani was briefly released by the Phoenix Mercury but then re-signed. On June 28, she achieved her first "double-double" (scoring double digits in two different stats) with 18 points and 11 assists. On July 30, she scored a then-career-high 28 points. She also tied a WNBA record by making 8 three-pointers in one game.
Leilani set a new career-high of 29 points on August 27 against her old team, the New York Liberty. She finished the 2019 season averaging double-digit points for the first time. For her outstanding season, Leilani won the WNBA Most Improved Player Award again. This made her the first player in either the NBA or WNBA to win this award twice!
In 2020, Leilani signed with the Washington Mystics. She had another double-double with 20 points and 12 assists. She also scored a playoff career-high of 25 points in a game against her former team, the Phoenix Mercury.
Playing Basketball Around the World
When the WNBA season is over, Leilani often plays basketball in other countries. She played for ASPTT Arras in France. For the 2009–10 season, she was named the Import Player of the Year in the French league.
From 2012 to 2013, Leilani played for ŽKK Novi Zagreb in Croatia. Since 2013, she has played in Australia's WNBL. She has won national championships with the Southside Flyers (2020), Canberra Capitals (2019), and Sydney Uni Flames (2017).
In 2020, when the Southside Flyers won the national championship, Leilani was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the Grand Final. She had also won this award in 2017. She scored 31 points in the 2020 final. Leilani had planned to start coaching after the 2021-22 WNBL season, but her playing role ended early due to pregnancy.
Representing Australia: The Opals
Leilani has been a regular player for the Australian national team, known as the 'Opals', since 2014. In 2014, she helped the Opals win a bronze medal at the FIBA World Championship.
She was also part of the Australian team at the 2016 Summer Olympics. The Opals reached the quarterfinals there. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the Opals had a tough tournament. They lost their first two games. They needed to beat Puerto Rico by at least 25 points to move forward, which they did! However, they lost to the United States in the quarterfinals.
Leilani's Family Life
Leilani Mitchell has a family with her partner, Mikaela Dombkins, who is also a WNBL basketball player. On July 24, 2018, Mikaela gave birth to their son, Kash Maxwell. Later, on June 4, 2022, Leilani announced on her Instagram page that they had welcomed their daughter, Elle.
See also
- List of Australian WNBA players
In Spanish: Leilani Mitchell para niños
