SALT LAKE CITY — All eyes are on the University of Utah women's basketball team and Alissa Pili, recently named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, as they prepare to kick off March Madness.
Pili believes the key to her success is that she's found an environment where she can truly thrive.
"I think that everybody just wants to see you do well," she said. "They'll do anything to help you reach your goals."
The 6'2" forward transferred to Utah from the University of Southern California.
"Coming from California, it's a lot different," Pili explained. "Just like a culture change - and the weather obviously."
Thanks to the help of coaches and teammates, her transition to the Beehive state has been a little easier.
"When I first came and visited here, it reminded me a lot of home anchorage back in Alaska," Pili said. "So I liked - it felt like home."
Since coming to Utah, she's been making friends and breaking records to help the Utes get to the big dance. Along the way, she's added the title of Pac-12 Player of the Year to her list of accolades.
At USC, Pili dealt with injuries and the deaths of three relatives, which she said greatly impacted her overall performance.
"I think just getting that award was just kind of proving myself that I'm still a great player, regardless of maybe my performances in the past, and just things that happened in the past," she said. "So just to have that it just felt really good and rewarding for all the hard work that I put in the offseason."
If you want to cheer on the women's team, they play 15-seeded Gardner-Webb on Friday at the Huntsman Center.
Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
If they win their Friday game, they'll play again Sunday at the Huntsman Center.
