High School Sports

WNBA next for star who led Gig Harbor to a championship before a stellar college career

Brynna Maxwell photographed at Skansie Park in Gig Harbor on June 10, 2019. She was selected in the WNBA draft this week.
Brynna Maxwell photographed at Skansie Park in Gig Harbor on June 10, 2019. She was selected in the WNBA draft this week. joshua.bessex@gateline.com

Gig Harbor High School graduate Brynna Maxwell is officially a professional.

In the April 15 WNBA Draft, she was selected with the 13th overall pick (the first pick of the second round) by the Chicago Sky.

Maxwell, a 2019 graduate of Gig Harbor High, played five years of college basketball, starring at Utah for three seasons before transferring to Gonzaga for her final two seasons. She helped lead the Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 appearance in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

She was one of the country’s best 3-point shooters in her college career, particularly at Gonzaga, where she shot 48.3 and 44 percent from beyond the arc the past two seasons, respectively.

Brynna Maxwell of Gig Harbor High School takes a shot in the girls 3A semifinal basketball game of the state championships held in the Tacoma Dome, February 2, 2018. Gig Harbor beat West Seattle, 55-46.
Brynna Maxwell of Gig Harbor High School takes a shot in the girls 3A semifinal basketball game of the state championships held in the Tacoma Dome, February 2, 2018. Gig Harbor beat West Seattle, 55-46. Peter Haley phaley@thenewstribune.com

Her lightning-quick release made her a highly-sought recruit out of high school. She led the Tides to the 2018 Class 3A state championship at the Tacoma Dome in her junior season, scoring 31 points in the title game against Garfield, a 51-48 Gig Harbor win. She averaged 27.7 points per game during the state tournament that season.

She was named The News Tribune’s 2019 All-Area player of the year after averaging 26.8 points per game as a senior and shooting 50 percent from the field.

This story was originally published April 16, 2024 at 10:34 AM.

Jon Manley
The News Tribune
Jon Manley covers high school sports for The News Tribune. A McClatchy President’s Award winner and Gonzaga University graduate, Manley has covered the South Sound sports scene since 2013. He was voted the Washington state sportswriter of the year in 2024 by the National Sports Media Association. Born and raised in Tacoma. Support my work with a digital subscription
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