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Wayne State University Athletics

Plenette Pierson

Women's Basketball Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

Pierson Selected As Assistant Women's Basketball Coach

15-year WNBA veteran joins coach Lohr's staff.

Plenette Pierson during her WNBA career.
DETROIT – Wayne State University women's head basketball coach Carrie Lohr announced today the hiring of Plenette Pierson as an assistant coach.  She officially began her duties yesterday.

"I am very excited to add an accomplished former professional athlete such as Plenette to our coaching staff," commented Coach Lohr.  "Plenette is a proven winner at the highest level!  I am confident that our players will benefit from her on court teachings, in addition to scout and film breakdown.  Her positive, high energy is going to benefit us on and off the court; on the recruiting trail and in the Detroit community."

Pierson joins the Warrior coaching staff after a 15-year WNBA career that included three titles (Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2008, and Minnesota Lynx in 2017), while playing for the Phoenix Mercury (2003-05), Detroit Shock/Tulsa Shock (2006-10), New York Liberty (2010-14), Tulsa Shock/Dallas Wings (2015-16) and the Minnesota Lynx (2017).

She was selected as the inaugural Sixth Woman of the Year in 2007 and a WNBA West All-Star in 2015.  Throughout her career, she averaged 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 steals per game in 444 career games.  She ranks 29th all-time in career points (4,258), 24th in rebounds (1,834), 24th in blocks (242) and 15th in field goal percentage (43.9 percent).

Pierson also played in 49 career playoff games, where she tallied eight points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.6 blocks per game.  She ranks 27th all-time in playoff rebounds (208) and 19th in playoff blocks (31).

After a four-year career at Texas Tech (1999-2003), where she majored in University Studies with concentrations in Kinesiology, Media Strategies and Integrative Studies, Pierson was drafted fourth overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 2003 WNBA Draft.  She was an Associated Press All-American Third Team as a senior after averaging 17.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest for the Red Raiders.  A 2014 Texas Tech Hall of Fame inductee, she was a 2001 SecondvTeam All-America by Women's Basketball News Service.

In addition to her WNBA career, Pierson spent the 2005-06 WNBA off-season in Italy with Coconuda Maddaloni.  The following year she played in Israel for Elitzur Ramla.  In the 2007-08 WNBA off-season, Pierson played in Russia for Dynamo Moscow.  She again played in Israel in 2011-12 this time for Maccabi Bnot Ashdod.  From 2012 to 2014, Pierson played two off-seasons in Slovakia for Good Angels Košice.

In the 2014-15 WNBA off-season, Pierson played in Italy for Passalacqua Ragusa.  After one season with Winnus in South Korea, Pierson signed with the Cheongju KB Stars of the Korean League for the 2016-17 WNBA off-season. 




 
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