Aerial Powers (born January 17, 1994) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player 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
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is an American professional basketball league. It is composed of twelve teams, all based in the United States. The league was founded on April 22, 1996, as the women's counterpart to the Natio ...
(WNBA). She played college basketball at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
. After a successful college career with the Spartans, Powers was drafted by 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 ...
with the fifth overall pick in the
2016 WNBA draft.
Early life
Powers was born in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
to Juan and Cecelia Powers. She has a younger brother named Juan Jr. Powers. Before playing basketball, Powers participated in
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
at a young age.
Powers is openly lesbian.
High school
Powers was a 2012 graduate of
Detroit Country Day. During her high school career, Powers led her school team to four consecutive regional championships. Upon graduation, Powers accepted a basketball scholarship at
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...
.
College
Powers attended Michigan State University for four seasons. Powers couldn't play for Michigan State in her first year due to a
torn achilles tendon
Achilles tendon rupture is when the Achilles tendon, at the back of the ankle, breaks. Symptoms include the sudden onset of sharp pain in the heel. A snapping sound may be heard as the tendon breaks and walking becomes difficult.
Rupture typic ...
that she suffered in practice before the season started. In her second year, Powers came back healthy and averaged 13.8 points per game in her first season for Michigan State. During her first season, Powers had 26 points and 18 rebounds against
Hampton University
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
in the first round of the
NCAA Tournament, which was the third-most points scored by a Michigan State Spartan in the NCAA Tournament, while her rebounding performance broke Michigan State's NCAA Tournament single-game record. By the end of her first season, Powers was named to the All-Big Ten First Team, becoming the first Michigan State freshman to ever be named to the First Team. She was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and was a co-recipient for both Michigan State's Player of the Year and Spartan Hustle award. In her second season with Michigan State, Powers had the best year of her college career, averaging 21.9 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. During the season, she had 24 double-doubles, which tied her for first on the All-Big Ten First Team and was the third-most in the NCAA. In her final season with Michigan State, Powers averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. In February 2016, Power earned espnW player of the week honors following her career-high 40 points (on 14–26 field goal shooting) along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a 114–106 win against
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. By the end of the season, she was named to the All-American Third Team and the All-Big Ten First Team for the third time. Following her senior season, Powers entered the
2016 WNBA draft.
College statistics
Sources:
USA Basketball
![2015 WUG South Korea Aerial Powers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/2015_WUG_South_Korea_Aerial_Powers.jpg)
Powers was selected to be a member of the USA representative to the World University Games held in
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
from July 5–13, 2015. The team won all six games, including the championship game against
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. For the first three quarters, the game was quite close with four ties and four lead changes. In the fourth quarter the USA exploded for 34 points to pull out to a large lead, and won the gold medal with a score of 82–63. Powers was the leading scorer for the USA team, averaging 18 points per game.
WNBA
Dallas Wings (2016-2018)
In 2016, Powers signed an endorsement deal with
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
. Powers was drafted 5th overall by 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 ...
in the
2016 WNBA draft. In her rookie season, Powers came off the bench and was effective on the Wings' second unit, averaging 10.4 points per game in 32 games with 2 starts. In a loss to the
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded pri ...
, she put up career-highs in both scoring and rebounding with 21 points and 10 rebounds. It was also her first career double-double. She was named to the
WNBA All-Rookie Team
The WNBA All-Rookie Team is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) honor given since the 2005 WNBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the WNBA head coaches, who are not allowed to vote fo ...
by the end of the season.
Midway through the 2017 WNBA season on July 25, Powers made her return after recovering from hip surgery, scoring 9 points in 18 minutes off the bench in an 84-82 victory over the
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded before the 2000 season began. The team is owned ...
. 2 games later, Power made her first and only start of the season for the Wings and scored a new career-high of 23 points in a 95-74 loss to the
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
. The Wings finished as the number 7 seed in the league with a 16-18 record but lost to the
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded pri ...
in the first round elimination game, Powers scored 21 points off the bench in the loss.
On July 18, 2018, Powers scored a season-high 18 points in a 101-72 victory against 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 ...
.
Washington Mystics (2018-2020)
On July 24, 2018, Powers was traded to the
Washington Mystics
The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was founded pri ...
in exchange for
Tayler Hill
Tayler Hill (born October 23, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. Hill previously played for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketbal ...
and draft picks. The Mystics finished as the number three seed with a 22-12 record, receiving a bye to the second round elimination game, the Mystics would defeat the Los Angeles Sparks 96-64. In the semi-finals, the Mystics defeated the number 2 seed
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real ...
in a five-game series, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. In the Finals, the Mystics would get swept by the
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm are an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The Storm competes in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was founded by Ginger Ackerl ...
.
In 2019, Powers would have the best season of her career thus far. On July 7, 2019, Powers scored a new career-high 24 points in a 98-81 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. By the end of the season, Powers finished with a career-high in scoring, helping the Mystics a league-best 26-8 record, receiving a double-bye to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Mystics defeated the
Las Vegas Aces
The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conferenc ...
3-1 to advance to the WNBA Finals for the second year in a row. In the WNBA Finals, the Mystics would come out victorious as they defeated the
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut that competes in the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
The team was established ...
in five games, earning Powers her first WNBA championship.
In 2020, the season was delayed and shortened to 22 games in a bubble at
IMG Academy
IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...
due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. With the Mystics' star player
Elena Delle Donne
Elena Delle Donne (born September 5, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Delle Donne played college basketball for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 ...
sitting out the season for health concerns after being diagnosed as a "high risk player", Powers would be inserted into the starting lineup. On July 28, 2020, Powers scored a new career-high 27 points in a 94-89 victory over the Connecticut Sun. On August 7, 2020, Powers suffered a
hamstring
In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.
In quadrupeds, ...
injury in a game against 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 ...
and would be sidelined for the rest of the season, she was also averaging new career-highs in scoring, assists, steals and rebounds with her increased playing time. The Mystics struggled to defend their title as their roster was depleted with a few key players leaving in free agency. They finished the season 9-13 with the number 8 seed but were eliminated 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 ...
in the first round elimination game.
Minnesota Lynx (2021-Present)
In 2021, Powers became an unrestricted free agent and signed with 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 ...
.
WNBA career statistics
Regular season
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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 ...
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Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 32 , , 2 , , 19.2 , , .394 , , .368 , , .835 , , 2.7 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 1.5 , , 10.4
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2017
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Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 12 , , 1 , , 20.3 , , .339 , , .310 , , .818 , , 4.2 , , 1.5 , , 0.4 , , 0.5 , , 1.5 , , 10.8
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2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
*
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Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 15 , , 0 , , 15.4 , , .366 , , .179 , , .824 , , 2.5 , , 0.9 , , 0.5 , , 0.1 , , 1.6 , , 6.2
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2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
*
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Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, 9 , , 0 , , 12.7 , , .450 , , .438 , , 1.000 , , 3.2 , , 0.9 , , 0.7 , , 0.4 , , 0.8 , , 6.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
†
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Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, 30 , , 7 , , 19.8 , , .434 , , .362 , , .867, , 3.2 , , 1.5 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 1.4 , , 11.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 29.8 , , .464 , , .346 , , .833 , , 4.8 , , 2.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.0 , , 1.8 , , 16.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 14 , , 7 , , 22.1 , , .427 , , .314 , , .917 , , 3.6 , , 2.1 , , 0.4 , , 0.4 , , 2.9 , , 13.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 35 , , 31 , , 26.9 , , .385 , , .308 , , .815 , , 4.7 , , 2.9 , , 1.2 , , 0.3 , , 2.5 , , 14.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;", Career
, style="text-align:left;", 7 years, 3 teams
, 118 , , 23 , , 19.4 , , .407 , , .340 , , .857 , , 3.2 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 0.3 , , 1.7 , , 10.5
Postseason
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
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;",
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 1 , , 0 , , 23.9 , , .400 , , .333 , , .889 , , 6.0 , , 3.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , 21.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, 9 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .341 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 2.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 0.7 , , 5.1
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, 9 , , 0 , , 16.3 , , .451 , , .263 , , .895 , , 3.3 , , 1.0 , , 0.2 , , 0.2 , , 0.7 , , 7.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, 1 , , 1 , , 32.0 , , .476 , , .500 , , 1.000 , , 5.0 , , 4.0 , , 2.0 , , 0.0 , , 6.0 , , 24.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;", Career
, style="text-align:left;", 4 years, 3 teams
, 20 , , 1 , , 14.7 , , .414 , , .237 , , .936 , , 3.1 , , 1.0 , , 0.5 , , 0.3 , , 1.0 , , 8.0
Overseas
During her rookie season, Powers signed with
Bucheon KEB Hana Bank, a South Korean club for the 2016–17 off-season. However, she ended up not playing for the team due to a tear on her
hip labrum that she sustained towards the end of the 2016 WNBA season. She underwent hip surgery and was ruled out for the off-season with an estimated recovery period of 4–6 months, In 2017, Powers signed with
Fenerbahçe S.K. of the
Turkish Super League
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
for the 2017–18 off-season. In 2019, Powers signed with
Guangdong Vermilion Birds of the Chinese League for the 2019-20 off-season.
Streaming
Powers also
streams
A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...
, playing in a
Team Liquid
Team Liquid is a multi-regional professional esports organization based in the Netherlands that was founded in 2000. With the release of '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'', Team Liquid signed their first professional players.
In 2012, Team Liq ...
Pro-Am
Valorant
''Valorant'' is a free-to-play first-person tactical hero shooter developed and published by Riot Games, for Windows. Teased under the codename ''Project A'' in October 2019, the game began a closed beta period with limited access on April 7 ...
tournament in early 2020. In January 2021, she was signed as a brand ambassador and streamer by Team Liquid, and appointed chair of its Diversity & Inclusion Task Force.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powers, Aerial
1994 births
Living people
All-American college women's basketball players
American expatriate basketball people in China
Basketball players from Michigan
Dallas Wings players
Dallas Wings draft picks
Detroit Country Day School alumni
Guangdong Vermilion Birds players
LGBT basketball players
LGBT people from Michigan
Lesbian sportswomen
Michigan State Spartans women's basketball players
Minnesota Lynx players
Shooting guards
Small forwards
Washington Mystics players
21st-century American women
LGBT African Americans
American LGBT sportspeople