Plenette Michelle Pierson (born August 31, 1981) is a retired American professional basketball player who last played for the

Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Founded pr ...

of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In the 2007 season, Pierson won the first ever Sixth Woman of the Year Award given in the WNBA. Pierson is currently an assistant coach at Texas Tech.

College

Pierson played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders women's basketball team. She graduated in 2003.

Texas Tech statistics

Source

Professional career

WNBA

Plenette Pierson at 2015 All-Star game cropped

Pierson was drafted fourth overall by the

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the league ...

2003 WNBA Draft The 2003 WNBA draft, both the dispersal draft and the regular WNBA draft, took place on April 24. The dispersal draft involved players from the rosters of the Portland Fire and Miami Sol teams which had both folded after the 2002 season. For that ...

. Midway through the 2005 season, Pierson was traded to the

Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006, and 2008 WNBA champions. Debuting in 1998, the Shock were one of the league's first expansion franchises. ...

. In the 2006 season, the Shock were a championship contender as they finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 23–11 record. They would advance all the way to the finals and defeat the Sacramento Monarchs in five games. The following season, Pierson would win the first ever WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award given by the league for her scoring and rebounding efforts off the bench, averaging 11.9 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game. Coinciding with her efforts, the Shock were in the hunt to win back-to-back championships with the number one seed in the eastern conference and another trip to the Finals, but were defeated by the

in five-game series. The following season, the Shock made it to the Finals for the third year in a row, this time winning their second championship in three years, after sweeping the

San Antonio Silver Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before the ...

in the Finals. However, the following season, Pierson would only play one game and missed the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. In 2010, the Detroit Shock franchise relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma and were renamed the Tulsa Shock. In the 2010 season, Pierson would play 8 games for the Shock before being traded to the

New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was f ...

where she played for the rest of the season. In the 2011 season, Pierson averaged a career-high in scoring with 12.9 points per game in the Liberty's starting lineup. She would continue to play with Liberty until 2014. In 2015, Pierson returned to the Tulsa Shock in free agency. She played 30 games with 29 starts, averaged 12.8 points per game and was voted as an all-star for the first time in her career. In 2016, the Shock relocated to Dallas, Texas and were renamed the

Dallas Wings The Dallas Wings are an American basketball team based in Arlington, Texas. The Wings play in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team is owned by a group which is led by chairman Bill Cameron. Greg ...

. She played and started in 27 games and averaged 11.9 points per game. On February 1, 2017, Pierson signed with the

in free agency. On August 18, 2017, Pierson announced that she would retire at the end of the season. During the season, Pierson would contribute off the bench for the Lynx, averaging 5.2 points per game. The Lynx finished with the best record in the league with a 27–7 record, earning the number 1 seed and a double-bye to the WNBA semi-finals. The Lynx would eliminate the Washington Mystics in a 3-game sweep of the WNBA semi-finals and would advance to the

2017 WNBA Finals The 2017 WNBA Finals was the best-of-five championship series for the 2017 season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), tipping off on September 24.Los Angeles Sparks in 5 games to avenge last season's Finals loss, as Pierson won her third WNBA championship.

Overseas

In the 2005-06 WNBA off-season, Pierson played in Italy for Coconuda Maddaloni. In the 2006-07 WNBA off-season, Pierson played in Israel for Elitzur Ramla. In the 2007-08 WNBA off-season, Pierson played in Russia for

Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (russian: МГО ВФСО «Динамо»), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (russian: Динамо Москва) is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first ...

. In the 2011-12 WNBA off-season, Pierson played in Israel 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. In August 2016, Pierson signed with the Cheongju KB Stars of the Korean League for the 2016-17 WNBA off-season.

Coaching

Lynx

On March 14, 2019, The Minnesota Lynx announced the hiring of Pierson as an assistant coach.

Texas Tech

On June 6, 2022, Pierson was announced as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Texas Tech. She'd leave her post as an assistant with the Lynx and would join the team immediately.

WNBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 33 , , 5 , , 18.2 , , .379 , , .000 , , .634 , , 2.4 , , 0.7 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 1.2 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 31 , , 25 , , 25.9 , , .443 , , .000 , , .606 , , 4.2 , , 0.8 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 1.5 , , 9.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

* , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 12 , , 11 , , 26.5 , , .343 , , .000 , , .690 , , 4.9 , , 1.1 , , 0.8 , , 1.0 , , 2.6 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

* , style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 17 , , 15 , , 19.3 , , .494 , , 1.000 , , .476 , , 5.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.2 , , 1.8 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", Total , 23 , , 0 , , 19.3 , , .437 , , .500 , , .698 , , 2.7 , , 0.9 , , 0.6 , , 0.2 , , 1.8 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

^† , style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 34 , , 0 , , 16.6 , , .456 , , .000 , , .700 , , 3.9 , , 0.7 , , 0.5 , , 0.4 , , 1.0 , , 6.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

, style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 34 , , 0 , , 25.2 , , .478 , , .000 , , .754 , , 5.8 , , 1.7 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 2.3 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

^† , style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 28 , , 0 , , 23.2 , , .457 , , .000 , , .752 , , 4.9 , , 2.3 , , 0.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.7 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 1 , , 0 , , 5.0 , , .000 , , .000 , , .000 , , 0.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

* , style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 8 , , 1 , , 15.8 , , .535 , , .429 , , .857 , , 2.5 , , 1.3 , , 1.2 , , 0.3 , , 1.6 , , 12.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

* , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, 25, , 0 , , 16.7 , , .458 , , .250 , , .817 , , 3.8 , , 1.1 , , 0.6 , , 0.3 , , 1.8 , , 9.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", Total , 33 , , 1 , , 16.5 , , .479 , , .364 , , .827 , , 3.5 , , 1.2 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 1.8 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 33 , , 28.6 , , .478 , , .200 , , .806 , , 5.2 , , 1.4 , , 1.1 , , 0.9 , , 1.8 , , 12.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 24 , , 24.7 , , .466 , , . 278 , , .759 , , 5.4 , , 2.3 , , 0.7 , , 0.8 , , 2.3 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 27 , , 27.6 , , .401 , , .000 , , .720 , , 5.8 , , 2.5 , , 0.5 , , 0.6 , , 2.4 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 33 , , 8 , , 17.4 , , .455 , , .000 , , .859 , , 3.1 , , 1.2 , , 0.4 , , 0.1 , , 1.3 , , 7.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

, style="text-align:left;", Tulsa , 30 , , 29 , , 28.1 , , .437 , , .362 , , .808 , , 4.1 , , 1.9 , , 0.9 , , 0.4 , , 1.8 , , 12.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, style="text-align:left;", Dallas , 27 , , 27 , , 26.6 , , .387 , , .337 , , .829 , , 4.6 , , 2.0 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 1.7 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

^† , style="text-align:left;", Minnesota , 34 , , 4 , , 13.7 , , .427 , , .339 , , .792 , , 2.2 , , 1.5 , , 0.4 , , 0.1 , , 1.0 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 15 years, 4 teams , 444 , , 194 , , 22.2 , , .439 , , .302 , , .744 , , 4.1 , , 1.5 , , 0.7 , , 0.5 , , 1.7 , , 9.6

Postseason

, - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 2 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .400 , , .000 , , .000 , , 3.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

^† , style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 10 , , 0 , , 18.9 , , .426 , , .000 , , .706 , , 5.4 , , 1.7 , , 0.6 , , 0.9 , , 1.4 , , 8.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 11 , , 1 , , 25.5 , , .422 , , .500 , , .732 , , 7.2 , , 1.6 , , 0.6 , , 1.0 , , 2.5 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

^† , style="text-align:left;", Detroit , 6 , , 0 , , 17.8 , , .474 , , .000 , , .846 , , 3.0 , , 1.7 , , 0.6 , , 0.3 , , 1.8 , , 7.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 3 , , 20.0 , , .523 , , .333 , , .625 , , 2.4 , , 1.2 , , 0.0 , , 0.2 , , 2.0 , , 10.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3 , , 3 , , 29.0 , , .577 , , .000 , , .500 , , 4.0 , , 2.7 , , 1.3 , , 1.6 , , 2.6 , , 10.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2 , , 2 , , 30.5 , , .389 , , .000 , , .800 , , 5.0 , , 3.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.0 , , 1.5 , , 9.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;", Tulsa , 2 , , 2 , , 26.8 , , .357 , , .333 , , .000 , , 5.5 , , 0.5 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.5 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",

^† , style="text-align:left;", Minnesota , 8 , , 0 , , 5.4 , , .364 , , .500 , , .000 , , 0.8 , , 0.5 , , 0.1 , , 0.1 , , 0.6 , , 1.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", Career , style="text-align:left;", 9 years, 4 teams , 49 , , 11 , , 19.2 , , .444 , , .364 , , .698 , , 4.2 , , 1.4 , , 0.5 , , 0.6 , , 1.6 , , 8.0

Personal life

Pierson was born in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

and grew up in nearby Kingwood, Texas. She is the daughter of Paulette Pierson and has a younger brother, Cleven and another brother Vontriel. She attended Kingwood High School, from which she graduated in 1999.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierson, Plenette 1981 births Living people All-American college women's basketball players American women's basketball coaches American women's basketball players Basketball coaches from Texas Basketball players from Houston Centers (basketball) Dallas Wings players Detroit Shock players Minnesota Lynx players New York Liberty players People from Kingwood, Texas Phoenix Mercury draft picks Phoenix Mercury players Power forwards (basketball) Sportspeople from Houston Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball players Tulsa Shock players Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars