Alissa Pili, sister of Dolphins DT, picked in 1st round of WNBA draft

Alissa Pili, whose older brother is a defensive tackle with the Miami Dolphins, is the newest member of the Lynx.

Alissa Pili, the younger sister of Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Brandon Pili, was picked with the No. 8 overall selection by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2024 WNBA draft.

In three seasons with the USC Trojans and two with the Utah Utes, Alissa Pili earned All-Pac-12 honors three times and was the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2023. As a senior, she averaged 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.

With the Lynx she joins a roster led by Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride that finished with a 19-21 record last season.

Pili’s brother, Brandon, spent his collegiate career at USC and signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2023. When he made the 53-man roster later that year, he became the first native Alaskan on an NFL’s regular season roster in nearly a decade.

The Dolphins later waived Pili in November and re-signed him to their practice squad where he stayed for the remainder of the year. In January, Pili was signed by Miami to a reserve/futures contract.

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