Minnesota Lynx rookie Alissa Pili spends Olympic break connecting with her community
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Lynx are gearing up for the second half of an already strong season — they're the No. 3 seed in the WNBA — that kicks back up in a week on Aug. 15 against the Washington Mystics.
During the Olympic break, Lynx rookie Alissa Pili used the time to reset and connect with her new community. She recently participated in a book drive at The Neighborhood House in St. Paul, where she talked to kids about the importance reading and gave each of them a free book.
"It's a surreal feeling just getting to interact with the community, especially because I come from a tight-knit community, so that's the kind of style I grew up around," said Pili.
Head coach Cheryl Reeve drafted Pili for her accuracy around the arc. Her best game so far, she tossed up 20 points against the Phoenix Mercury, 12 of them off three-pointers. However, she has more goals for the second half of the season.
"The players in this league are a lot more physical and taller and things like that. My post game is something that I could be more aggressive on, just like driving to the basket and things like that," said Pili.
Pili stands out not just for her skills, but for who she represents. She's an Alaska native with Indigenous, Polynesian and Samoan roots, something she shares proudly through tribal tattoo art on her right leg.
"I started off just this flower down to my ankle, just a small strip, and then I kind of just wanted it to stand out as much as possible, and just be different and represent where I come from," said Pili.
Pili is also proud to watch three of her teammates and head coach compete in the Paris Olympic Games. Reeve and Napheesa Collier are on Team USA, Bridget Carleton is on Team Canada and Alanna Smith is on the Australian National Team. Pili says it's a reminder she's learning from the best.
"That just comforts me going into the years to come, just being mentored and coached by a coach who is considered one of the greats," said Pili, who hopes she can make Team USA someday.