Brianna Kiesel - Women's Basketball Coach

Brianna Kiesel

Title:
Assistant Coach
Phone:
412-648-8360
Email:
bkiesel@athletics.pitt.edu

Brianna Kiesel is entering her second season as assistant coach for her alma mater in 2022-23. Kiesel joined the Pitt coaching staff on June 3, 2021 after spending the previous six seasons playing basketball professionally in the WNBA and overseas. Kiesel works primarily with the Pitt point guards.

The Utica, NY native returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach in 2021 after finishing up her six-year playing career in the spring of 2021. Kiesel most recently played for Uni Gyor in the Hungary A Division (her second stint with the team) and led them to a third place finish while averaging 17.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.9 spg and shooting 53.4% from the floor.

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.

After her masterful playing career at Pitt, Kiesel was selected in the second round (13^th 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.

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.

Kiesel had a standout senior campaign which resulted in numerous individual accolades and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She finished the 2014-15 season averaging a career-high 18.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 4.5 apg while posting 17 games with 20+ points scored. She was named a WBCA Region 2 All-America nominee, a First Team All-ACC performer, as well as being named to the All-ACC Defensive Team and ACC All-Academic Team.

She is also one of just two female student-athletes to win the Panther Award and Blue-Gold Award following her stellar senior season in 2015 as her name is etched on the prestigious Varsity Walk between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel.

The three-year team captain graduated from Pitt in 2015 with bachelor degrees in administration of justice and legal studies with a certificate in communications.