Brynna Maxwell

Maxwell was born on August 29, 2000, in Portland, Oregon.^[1] The daughter of two college basketball players, she began playing the sport at an early age.^[2] She grew up in Gig Harbor, Washington, and attended Gig Harbor High School.^[3] She was a top player at Gig Harbor and finished as the team's all-time leading scorer (1,968 points), also setting other records including for most points in a game (48).^[4] She was twice selected first-team all-state and was named Gig Harbor's female athlete of the year as a senior, when she averaged 26.8 points per game.^[4] She helped the team win the state championship that year, 51–48, with Maxwell totaling 31 points in the game.^[5] The News-Tribune named her the 2019 area player of the year.^[5] Highly recruited, she committed to play college basketball for the Utah Utes.^[4][5]

As a freshman at Utah in the 2019–20 season, Maxwell started all 31 games and was named honorable mention All-Pac-12 Conference as well as first-team Pac-12 All-Freshman.^[6] She led the team with averages of 26.5 minutes and 13.1 points per game, also placing first in the Pac-12 for three-point shots made (83) and three-point shots made per game (2.7), as well as second in three-point percentage (.472).^[6] She was fourth nationally in three-point percentage and her 83 three-point shots set a Utah freshman record.^[6] In her second season, Maxwell again led the Utes in points per game (12.8) and repeated as an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection.^[7] In 2021–22, she averaged 10.8 points and helped Utah compile a record of 21–12 while reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament.^[8]

Maxwell transferred to the Gonzaga Bulldogs for the 2022–23 season, ending her stint at Utah having started 63-of-85 games played in.^[9] In her first year there, she placed third on the team with 13.5 points per game and was among the top three-point and free-throw shooters nationally, making 94.9% of her free throws and 48.1% of her three-point attempts; the latter total placed second in the country.^[10] She was selected first-team All-West Coast Conference (WCC) for her performance.^[10] In her final season, 2023–24, Maxwell had a career-best 14.2 points per game and repeated as a first-team All-WCC selection.^[11][12] She helped them compile a record of 32–4, the best in team history, as the Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.^[13]

Maxwell was selected in the second round (13th overall) of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky.^[11] She suffered an injury to her knee during training camp, and on May 13, 2024, Maxwell was waived by the Chicago Sky.^[14][15]