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Aerial Powers

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Aerial Powers
Aerial Powers in 2021
No. 23 – Kayseri Basketbol
PositionSmall forward / shooting guard
LeagueTurkish Super League
Personal information
Born (1994-01-17) January 17, 1994 (age 30)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High schoolDetroit Country Day
(Detroit, Michigan)
CollegeMichigan State (2013–2016)
WNBA draft2016: 1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by the Dallas Wings
Playing career2016–present
Career history
2016–2018Dallas Wings
2017–2018Fenerbahçe S.K.
2018–2020Washington Mystics
2019–2020Guangdong Vermilion Birds
2021–2023Minnesota Lynx
2024Beijing Great Wall
2024–presentAtlanta Dream
2024–presentKayseri Basketbol
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Representing the USA
World University Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Gwangju Team Competition

Aerial Powers (born January 17, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Kayseri Basketbol of the Turkish Super League. She played college basketball at Michigan State University. After a successful college career with the Spartans, Powers was drafted by the Dallas Wings with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft.

Early life

[edit]

Powers was born in Detroit, Michigan to Juan and Cecelia Powers. She has a younger brother named Juan Jr. Powers. Before playing basketball, Powers participated in boxing at a young age.[1]

Powers is openly lesbian. [2]

Powers was a 2012 graduate of Detroit Country Day. During her high school career, Powers led her school team to four consecutive regional championships.[3] Upon graduation, Powers accepted a basketball scholarship at Michigan State University.

College career

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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 that she suffered in practice before the season started.[4] 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 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

USA Basketball

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Aerial Powers driving in the World University gold medal game against Canada

Powers was selected to be a member of Team USA at the World University Games held in Seoul, South Korea from July 5–13, 2015.[8] The team won all six games, including the championship game against Canada. 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.[9] Powers was the leading scorer for the USA team, averaging 18 points per game.[10]

WNBA

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Dallas Wings (2016–2018)

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In 2016, Powers signed an endorsement deal with Nike.[11] Powers was drafted 5th overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2016 WNBA draft.[12] 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, she put up career-highs in both scoring and rebounding with 21 points and 10 rebounds. It was also her first career double-double.[13] She was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team by the end of the season.

Powers in Fenerbahçe uniform in 2018

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.[14] 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.[15] The Wings finished as the number 7 seed in the league with a 16–18 record but lost to the Washington Mystics 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.[16]

Washington Mystics (2018–2020)

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On July 24, 2018, Powers was traded to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Tayler Hill and draft picks.[17] 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 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.

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 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 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 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Mystics' star player Elena Delle Donne 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.[18] On August 7, 2020, Powers suffered a hamstring injury in a game against the New York Liberty 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 in the first-round elimination game.

Minnesota Lynx (2021–2024)

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In 2021, Powers became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Minnesota Lynx.[19]

Atlanta Dream (2024–present)

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On January 31, 2024, Powers signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Dream.[20]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader
† Denotes seasons in which Powers won a WNBA championship

WNBA

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Regular season

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Stats current through end of 2024 season

WNBA regular season statistics[21]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2016 Dallas 32 2 19.2 .394 .368 .835 2.7 1.1 1.0 0.2 1.5 10.4
2017 Dallas 12 1 20.3 .339 .310 .818 4.2 1.5 0.4 0.5 1.5 10.8
2018 Dallas 15 0 15.4 .366 .179 .824 2.5 0.9 0.5 0.1 1.6 6.2
Washington 9 0 12.7 .450 .438 1.000 3.2 0.9 0.7 0.4 0.8 6.1
2019† Washington 30 7 19.8 .434 .362 .867 3.2 1.5 0.8 0.2 1.4 11.4
2020 Washington 6 6 29.8 .464 .346 .833 4.8 2.5 1.5 0.0 1.8 16.3
2021 Minnesota 14 7 22.1 .427 .314 .917 3.6 2.1 0.4 0.4 2.9 13.4
2022 Minnesota 35 31 26.9 .385 .308 .815 4.7 2.9 1.2 0.3 2.5 14.4
2023 Minnesota 20 0 9.8 .413 .316 .917 1.8 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.9 5.2
2024 Atlanta 17 2 17.9 .355 .389 .791 3.3 1.4 0.9 0.2 1.1 8.6
Career 9 years, 4 teams 190 56 19.6 .397 .336 .844 3.3 1.6 0.8 0.2 1.7 10.5

Playoffs

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WNBA playoff statistics
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2017 Dallas 1 0 23.9 .400 .333 .889 6.0 3.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 21.0
2018 Washington 9 0 10.0 .341 .000 1.000 2.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.7 5.1
2019† Washington 9 0 16.3 .451 .263 .895 3.3 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.7 7.6
2021 Minnesota 1 1 32.0 .476 .500 1.000 5.0 4.0 2.0 0.0 6.0° 24.0
2023 Minnesota 1 0 14.0 .000 .000 1.000 3.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 3.0 4.0
2024 Atlanta
Career 6 years, 4 teams 21 1 14.6 .396 .225 .941 3.1 0.9 0.5 0.2 1.1 7.8

College

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NCAA statistics[22][23]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2013–14 Michigan State 33 33 26.1 .477 .317 .709 8.2 2.3 1.8 0.6 3.9 13.4
2014–15 Michigan State 31 31 35.5 .397 .303 .783 12.1 3.5 2.2 1.2 5.0 21.9
2015–16 Michigan State 32 30 32.8 .444 .312 .830 9.2 2.9 2.0 0.7 3.3 21.8
Career 96 94 31.4 .433 .309 .779 9.8 2.9 2.0 0.8 4.1 18.9

Overseas

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During her rookie season, Powers signed with Bucheon KEB Hana Bank, a South Korean club for the 2016–17 off-season.[24] 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.[25] She underwent hip surgery and was ruled out for the off-season with an estimated recovery period of 4–6 months,[26] In 2017, Powers signed with Fenerbahçe S.K. of the Turkish Super League for the 2017–18 off-season.[27] In 2019, Powers signed with Guangdong Vermilion Birds of the Chinese League for the 2019–20 off-season.[28]

Streaming

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Powers also streams, playing in a Team Liquid Pro-Am Valorant 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.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Junior guard Aerial Powers shows potential to be one of the greats". Junior guard Aerial Powers shows potential to be one of the greats - The State News.
  2. ^ "How her nosy Washington Mystics teammates helped Aerial Powers discover her #Pride". September 4, 2018.
  3. ^ "Aerial Powers Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and More | WNBA". www.wnba.com. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "Aerial Powers Suffers Season-Ending Injury".
  5. ^ "Aerial Powers - Women's Basketball". Michigan State University Athletics. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "Michigan State's Powers is espnW player of the week". ESPN.com. February 22, 2016.
  7. ^ "Aerial Powers Declares for WNBA Draft". Michigan State Spartans. April 4, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
  8. ^ "Aerial Powers". www.usab.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2015.
  9. ^ "WUGs Gold medal Game: USA 82, Canada 63". Archived from the original on July 13, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  10. ^ "2015 World University Games". Archived from the original on November 21, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  11. ^ "Nike signs Breanna Stewart, Rachel Banham, Aerial Powers, Jonquel Jones and Tiffany Mitchell". April 18, 2016.
  12. ^ Calloway, Brian. "MSU's Aerial Powers taken fifth overall by Dallas in WNBA draft". Detroit Free Press.
  13. ^ "Diggins scores 25, Wings fall 88-83". Dallas Wings.
  14. ^ Bradshaw, Klara (July 26, 2017). "Dallas has its "Powers" now". Swish Appeal.
  15. ^ "Aerial Powers has a career-high 23 points but Wings fall to Sparks 95-74". July 31, 2017.
  16. ^ "Wings win with balanced attack 101-72 over Mercury". apnews.com. July 11, 2018.
  17. ^ "Mystics Trade Tayler Hill To Wings For Aerial Powers". wnba.com. WNBA. July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  18. ^ "Aerial Powers scores career-high 27 points in Washington Mystics win over Connecticut Sun". Sky Sports.
  19. ^ "Aerial Powers on her new WNBA team and changing esports culture: 'You just want to be known as good, not as good for a girl'". February 1, 2021.
  20. ^ "Atlanta Dream Sign Tina Charles and Aerial Powers; Re-sign Nia Coffey". dream.wnba.com. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  21. ^ "Aerial Powers WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  22. ^ "Aerial Powers Bio - Michigan State Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  23. ^ "Individual Career History". www.MSUSpartans.com. Michigan State University. May 6, 2016. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  24. ^ "2016-2017 WNBA Overseas Signings - Women's Basketball 24.7". August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  25. ^ Kennedy, Rene' (November 19, 2016). "Hip surgery for Powers". Swish Appeal.
  26. ^ "Aerial Powers Out 4-6 Months After Hip Surgery". November 18, 2016.
  27. ^ "WNBA Players Playing Overseas". wnba.com.
  28. ^ "WNBA Overseas Tracker: Your favorite players around the world". swishappeal.com. October 31, 2019.
  29. ^ Nicholson, Jonno (January 13, 2021). "Aerial Powers joins Team Liquid as brand ambassador". Esports Insider. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
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