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Gianna Kneepkens
Gianna Kneepkens (born March 4, 2003) is an American college basketball player for the Utah Utes of the Big 12 Conference. Early life and high school careerGianna Kneepkens was born in Duluth, Minnesota[1] to Donald and Betsy Kneepkens.[2] The youngest of six siblings, Kneepkens grew up playing basketball against her five older brothers.[3] She played for Marshall School in Duluth. As a varsity starter beginning in eighth grade, Kneepkens helped her team to two consecutive Minnesota State Tournament appearances.[4] In her final high school game, Kneepkens scored 67 points, an all-time state record.[4] She was named 2021 Gatorade Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year, joining Paige Bueckers who won the award the year before.[4] During her high school career, Kneepkens scored 3,704 points, which ranked fourth all-time in Minnesota state history at the time.[4] She committed to playing college basketball for Utah.[5] College careerFreshman seasonKneepkens made her debut for the Utes on November 10, 2021, against Lipscomb University. She later earned a starting role after coming off the bench and scoring 29 points against in-state rival BYU on December 4, 2021.[6] During the season, Kneepkens went on to average 11.8 points per game, shooting 38.4% from the 3-point line and 87.1% from the free-throw line.[2] Kneepkens was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Pac-12, and given Pac-12 All-Freshman honors.[2] Sophomore seasonDuring her sophomore campaign, Kneepkens continued to see success, starting in every game and scoring an average of 15.3 points per game.[2] She helped lead her team to a second consecutive NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament appearance. The Utes advanced to the Sweet 16 where Kneepkens scored a team-high 20 points in a loss to eventual NCAA champion LSU on March 24, 2023.[7] She was again named to the First Team All-Pac-12 and was named a WBCA Coaches' Honorable Mention All-American.[2] Redshirt yearJust prior to her third season, she was named a Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference selection.[8] She started in 8 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. She averaged 17.8 points per game, shooting a career-high 63.3% from the field and 54.0% from the 3-point line. She also reached 1,000 career points in just 62 games. She was granted a redshirt season by the NCAA for her injury.[8] Junior seasonPrior to her redshirt junior year (2024-2025), she was named to the Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year Watch List.[9] She returned to play November 4, 2024, scoring a team-high 18 points against Southern Utah.[10] On January 22, 2025, she posted a career high of 30 points, almost achieving a triple double with 10 rebounds, and eight assists, while shooting 66.7% from the field and setting a career high six 3-pointers (54.5%) in a 79-61 win over Kansas University.[11] In the same week against school rival’s BYU, she set a new career high of 32 points, making six 3-point shots (85.7%) and recording eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals, leading the team to an 81-76 victory.[12] Based on these performances, she earned Big 12 women's basketball Player of the Week.[13] Career statistics
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