Alaska News

Former Alaska basketball star Griffin on a big roll in WNBA

Wow, what a week on the basketball court for Kelsey Griffin of Eagle River. The fourth-year WNBA forward who plays for the Connecticut Sun was already having the best season of her career, and now she has collected career highs in points and assists in back-to-back games

Griffin, a Chugiak High graduate, handed out a career-best four assists against Chicago on Saturday. Six days earlier she pumped in a career-best 17 points against Indiana.

The 6-foot-2 starter who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 WNBA draft has averaged 7.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in her first 12 games of the season.

Against Indiana, her career night was made possible by 9-of-10 free throw shooting. Griffin earned those scoring opportunities by being aggressive and by hitting the boards – she added eight rebounds.

What a difference a year makes for Griffin. Last year it took her 31 games to score 95 points – this year it took a dozen.

"I've found myself again in basketball," Griffin said about a month ago of her role with the Sun. "I'm completely different player than last year."

Van Williams, a 20-year local sports writer and the former sports editor of the Anchorage Daily News, blogs on the accomplishments of Alaska athletes for the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. He can be reached at alaskasportshall@yahoo.com. Used with permission.

Van Williams

Van Williams is a freelance writer in Anchorage and editor of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame blog.

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