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T.J. McConnell’s Journey: From WPIAL Star to NBA Finals With the Pacers

The Pittsburgh native and Chartiers Valley legend leads Indiana’s bench unit in the NBA Finals, while his sister Megan McConnell inks her first WNBA contract with the Phoenix Mercury

John Beisser

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) in the first quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) in the first quarter during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

From Pittsburgh Gym Floors to NBA Spotlight

Once the “little kid” on pewee basketball courts throughout western Pennsylvania, the 6-1 point guard is now a wily NBA veteran in his 10th season in the league and a valuable reserve for a high-octane Pacers squad that dispatched of the New York Knicks in six games in reaching the best-of-seven championship series for the first time since 2000. In 2014, McConnell became just the second athlete inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

WPIAL Legend: A Historic High School Career

As a senior in 2009–10, he delivered one of the most remarkable seasons in over a century of WPIAL basketball, setting a league record with 1,062 points, a feat only matched by University of Pittsburgh Hall of Famer Don Hennon in 1955. Coached by his father, Tim, at Chartiers Valley High School in Bridgeville, McConnell averaged 34 points per game, the second-highest in the WPIAL over the past 45 years. He won 101 games during his high school career, finishing as the WPIAL’s fifth all-time leading scorer with 2,404 points and second in career three-pointers with 334.

As team captain in his senior year, McConnell averaged 34.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game, earning first-team all-state honors, the Associated Press Pennsylvania Class 3A Player of the Year award, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Male Athlete of the Year award across all sports. He led Chartiers Valley to a 29–2 record, capturing the WPIAL championship and reaching the Class 3A state championship game, where they fell to Philadelphia’s Neumann-Goretti High School.

Staying Close to Home: Early College Years at Duquesne

McConnell opted to stay close to home after high school, playing two seasons at Duquesne University. As a freshman in 2010–11, he averaged 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 2.8 steals per game in 32 games (30 starts), earning the 2011 Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year award. In his sophomore year (2011–12), he posted 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.8 steals per game, contributing to a 16–15 record for the Dukes. His performance earned him third-team All-Atlantic 10 honors and a spot on the A-10 All-Defensive Team.

Arizona Success and National Recognition

In April 2012, McConnell transferred to the University of Arizona, driven by aspirations to compete for a national championship. NCAA transfer rules forced him to sit out the 2012–13 season. In 2013–14, he helped Arizona start 21–0, though the season ended with an Elite Eight appearance after teammate Brandon Ashley’s season-ending foot injury. As a senior in 2014–15, McConnell earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and a place on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team, leading the conference in assists per game and total assists while guiding Arizona to another Elite Eight. On December 18, 2024, he became the 34th Arizona Wildcat inducted into the Arizona Basketball Ring of Honor.

Undrafted to Unstoppable: T.J. McConnell’s NBA Career

After going undrafted, McConnell joined the Sixers as a free agent in 2015 and spent four seasons with the team before signing with the Pacers in 2019. During his career, McConnell has appeared in 706 regular-season games with averages of 7.6 points, 5.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 51.6% from the field and 77.8% from the free-throw line.

His standout attributes include elite assist-to-turnover ratios and high steal rates, with a career-high 10 steals in a single game in 2021, setting an NBA record for most steals in a half. In helping the Pacers to their NBA championship series appearance, McConnell has averaged an important 9.4 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game as a sparkplug off the bench.

Sister Megan McConnell Joins the WNBA

McConnell’s sister is Megan McConnell, who signed a contract today (June 3, 2025) with the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, has also built an impressive basketball career. She played collegiately at Duquesne University, where she was a standout point guard. During her senior season (2023-24), she averaged 18.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game across 32 starts, earning All-Atlantic 10 First Team honors and the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award.

As a senior, she led the Dukes to a 21-13 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. After college, Megan went undrafted in the 2024 WNBA Draft but signed a training camp contract with the Phoenix Mercury. Today, she officially signed with the Mercury, marking her entry into the WNBA. She is noted for her defensive tenacity and playmaking abilities, drawing comparisons to her brother T.J.





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John Beisser
JOHN BEISSER

A recipient of seven New Jersey Press Association Awards for writing excellence, John Beisser served as Assistant Director in the Rutgers University Athletic Communications Office from 1991-2006, where he primarily handled sports information/media relations duties for the Scarlet Knight football and men's basketball programs. In this role, he served as managing editor for nine publications that received either National or Regional citations from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). While an undergraduate at RU, Beisser was sports director of WRSU-FM and a sportswriter/columnist for The Daily Targum. From 2007-2019, Beisser served as Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Media Relations at Wagner College, where he was the recipient of the 2019 Met Basketball Writers Association "Good Guy" Award. Beisser resides in Piscataway with his wife Aileen (RC '95,) a four-year Scarlet Knight women's lacrosse letter-winner, and their daughter Riley. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.

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