From the Vault: Brianna Kiesel
Brianna Kiesel, one of the most versatile and prolific talents to ever step on a basketball court at Pitt, will be inducted into the Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 Class.
The skilled point guard capped her amazing Pitt career as the Panthers' all-time leader in minutes played while ranking third in free throw percentage (79.5%), fifth in points (1,938), fifth in assists (433) and eighth in steals (198). She is still the only player in program history to accumulate at least 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists while also being the only player to lead the team in scoring and assists in four straight seasons. The prolific scorer also posted 42 games with 20+ points scored across her career.
Freshman Year
Kiesel arrived at Pitt for the 2011-12 season from Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica, NY. A unanimous selection to the Big East All-Freshman Team, Kiesel played and started all 30 games for the Panthers, the only player to earn a start in every contest that year. She led the team in points (13.6 per game), assists (3.0) and minutes per game (36.3).
Sophomore Year
Kiesel's sophomore year ended with a All-Big East Third Team selection. She averaged a team-best 14.9 points per game and a team-high 3.0 assists per game while being the only player on the team to start every game.
Career-Bests
- Field Goals: 12 against DePaul on March 2
- Minutes: 49 against Providence on February 6
- Rebounds: 13 against Providence on February 6
- Steals: 6 against Siena on November 13
Junior Year
During her Junior year Kiesel became the first player in program history to earn USBWA National Player of the Week honors (1/7/14) after averaging 23 points and seven assists vs. Florida State and Virginia in the opening week of conference action and was named ACC Player of the Week that same week. In Pitt Women’s Basketball’s first season in the conference Kiesel lead the ACC in free-throws made and attempted (151-183). She led the team in points, assists, FT%, steals, minutes and was second in rebounding for the year. Kiesel had four double-doubles her junior year. Those performances included 19 points and 10 rebounds at Miami and 27 points and 10 rebounds vs. Duquesne.
Career-Bests
- 3-pointers: 4 against Clemson on February 16
Senior Year
In her final year with Pitt Kiesel averaged 18.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists, was a WBCA Region 2 All-America Nominee, a first Team All-ACC athlete as selected by the coaches and the media's Blue Ribbon Panel, an All-ACC Defensive Team member, and a Nancy Lieberman Award Finalist, an award given to the nation’s best point guard. In the final game of her career, she scored a career-best 32 points in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at #6/5 Tennessee. Her 590 points were the fourth most by a senior in program history, while her 144 assists ranked fifth and her 68 steals were third most.
Career-Bests
- Assists: 10 against Youngstown State on December 21
- Points: 32 against Tennessee on March 23
Senior Year
In her final year with Pitt Kiesel averaged 18.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists, was a WBCA Region 2 All-America Nominee, a first Team All-ACC athlete as selected by the coaches and the media's Blue Ribbon Panel, an All-ACC Defensive Team member, and a Nancy Lieberman Award Finalist, an award given to the nation’s best point guard. In the final game of her career, she scored a career-best 32 points in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at #6/5 Tennessee. Her 590 points were the fourth most by a senior in program history, while her 144 assists ranked fifth and her 68 steals were third most.
Career-Bests
- Assists: 10 against Youngstown State on December 21
- Points: 32 against Tennessee on March 23
Professional Play
After her masterful playing career at Pitt, Kiesel was selected in the second round (13th overall) of the 2015 WNBA Draft by the Tulsa Shock. With her selection, Kiesel became just the second Panther in program history drafted into the WNBA, joining former Pitt great Shavonte Zellous (2009, Detroit Shock).
Kiesel appeared in 58 career WNBA games for three teams (Tulsa Shock, Dallas Wings, Atlanta Dream) while posting the best season in the league during her rookie season in Tulsa in 2015. She finished the season appearing in 36 games while averaging 5.1 points and 1.8 assists.
Kiesel played for five teams in four different countries (Poland, Sweden, Hungary, Israel) during her overseas playing career and earned multiple First Team All-League selections. The best season of her professional career came during the 2019 campaign as she averaged a career-high 19.0 ppg, 4.2 apg and 3.9 rpg across 21 games for Pszczolka AZS-UMCS Lublin (Poland-EBLK). She was named First Team All-Polish BLK, All-Polish BLK Import Player of the Year and All-Polish BLK Guard of the Year for her stellar play.
Coaching
Kiesel retired as a player in 2021 and returned to Pitt as an assistant basketball coach for two seasons. Glen Burnie High School in Maryland announced that Kiesel will be the girls varsity basketball coach beginning with the 2024-25 season.
Honor Brianna Kiesel at the 2024 Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame induction, Friday, September 13 at the Petersen Events Center.