LUBBOCK, Texas (PRESS RELEASE) — The following is a press release from Texas Tech Athletics:
Lady Raider basketball and head coach Krista Gerlich are bringing back one of their own, as Texas Tech Hall of Famer Plenette Pierson is returning to her alma matter as an assistant coach.
After graduating from Texas Tech in 2003, Pierson spent the last 20 years playing and coaching in the WNBA.
The sixth leading scorer in Lady Raider history, Pierson scored 1602 points in her Tech career including a career-best 624 points during the 2002-03 season. That mark is 13th all-time.
The Fourth overall pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft, Pierson spent 17 seasons in the WNBA playing for the Phoenix Mercury, Detroit Shock/Tulsa Shock, New York Liberty and Dallas Wings.
A three-time WNBA champion, Pierson also was named the inaugural WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2007 after scoring 11.6 points a game. That season the forward led the Shock to the second of three consecutive WNBA Finals appearances.
Pierson also made an indelible mark on Lady Raider record books, as the Houston native is ranked inside the top-10 all-time in points (1602), points per game (15.4), field goals made (602), free throws made (398) and blocked shots (116).
A 2003 AP All-America selection, Pierson earned Big 12 Freshman of the Years honors in the 2000 season and was named to the Big 12 First Team in 2003. A true winner, Pierson helped lead the Lady Raiders to an overall record of 102-30 in her four seasons.
Tech made the NCAA Tournament in all four of those seasons, including a 2000 Big 12 Regular Season Championship. The Lady Raiders made four Sweet Sixteen appearances and a pair of Elite Eight trips in that span.
Currently coaching with the Minnesota Lynx, Pierson will leave her post with the Lynx and join the Lady Raiders for Summer workouts.
The Lynx are coming off an extremely successful 2021 season that saw the franchise go 22-10 en route to a second-place finish in the WNBA Western Conference. Minnesota has made the playoffs in all three seasons Pierson has spent working in the Twin Cities.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT PIERSON:
LADY RAIDER HEAD COACH KRISTA GERLICH:
“We are thrilled to add Plenette Pierson to our coaching staff. She is one of the greatest players to come through the Lady Raider program and she has a significant toughness about her that I thoroughly enjoyed watching when she played. What she’s done at the professional level the last 20 years has been remarkable. She will add a lot of credibility to our program and staff due to her knowledge and experience in the professional game. She knows what it takes to train as a professional each and every day and has experience with the draft process. And then she’s going to provide us a major boost on the player development side. The thing I probably love the most about Plenette is her love for Texas Tech and the Lady Raiders. She had a prolific career and has such a great story to tell from her experience here. She is going to be such a great mentor, coach and example for our players. I’m excited to her welcome her back home and I know our players and fans will be too.”
MINNESOTA LYNX HEAD COACH AND GENERAL MANAGER CHERYL REEVE:
“We are happy for Plenette on this opportunity to return home to alma matter. Anyone that knows her, knows the love she has for Texas Tech. We wish her the best on this new journey and are appreciative for the passion and commitment she showed the Minnesota Lynx and the WNBA.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HALL OF FAMER, FORMER LADY RAIDER HEAD COACH MARSHA SHARP:
“Congratulations to Krista and Plenette both for this latest development in the Lady Raider program. Plenette will bring a mentality of toughness and a passion for this program that will be such a great match for everything Krista envisions. I am so excited to watch them continue to move our program forward!”
PLENETTE PIERSON FILE:
PLAYING CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Texas Tech: 1999-2003
• Scored 1,602 career points (Sixth all-time)
• Averaged 15.4 points over her four-year career (Ninth all-time)
• Ninth all-time in career field goals made (602)
• One of 14 Lady Raiders to score 500 points in a single season
• 2003 Third Team AP All-America selection
WNBA CAREER:
• Three-time WNBA champion (2006, 2008, 2017)
• Selected as the WNBA Six Woman of the Year (2007)
• 1x WNBA All-Star (2015)
• 15 year career with four different teams
• Averaged in double-figures in eight of her 15 years
• Played in over 400 games
Phoenix Mercury (2003-05):
• Drafted fourth overall in the 2003 WNBA Draft (Highest WNBA pick in program history)
• Played in 76 games before being traded to the Detroit Shock
Detroit/Tulsa Shock (2006-10, 2015):
• Two-time WNBA champion (2006, 2008)
• Scored 11.9 points in 28 games in 2008
• Shot a career-high 53.5 percent from the field in 2010
• Returned to the organization in 2015 for one season, scoring 12.8 points
New York Liberty (2011-14):
• Set new career-bests in points (12.9), minutes per game (28.6) and steals (1.1) in 2011
• Completed back-to-back seasons averaging at least 12 points per game in 2011, 2012
• Grabbed a career-best 5.8 rebounds and dished out 2.5 assists (also a career mark)
Dallas Wings (2016):
• Part of the inaugural team in franchise history
• Scored 11.9 points and grabbed 4.6 rebounds
• Shot an impressive 82.9 percent from the line and averaged 2.0 assists or more for the fourth time in her career
Minnesota Lynx (2017):
• Played in 34 games, closing out her storied WNBA career with her third championship.
(Press release from Texas Tech Athletics)
