Mercury's Brown Has Huge Game In College

Phoenix Mercury's Kalani Brown was one of Baylor's key players, and in 2017, she had a major performance.

Sep 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22) defends against Phoenix Mercury center Kalani Brown (21) during a WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Kalani Brown joined the Phoenix Mercury this year. She was a part of the deal that brought Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to the Mercury, and during the season, the center saw some action.

Before playing for the Mercury, Brown played for the Los Angeles Sparks, the Atlanta Dream and the Dallas Wings. She was drafted by the Sparks in 2019, and she averaged 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 28 games.

Sep 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Mercury center Kalani Brown (21) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens (23) during the second half of a WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Mercury center was coming off a big year in college, as she helped the Baylor Bears win a championship. Brown had big games in her time with Baylor, and her best game was in 2017.

Brown had a huge game against Texas, as she had 35 points, 13 rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist. She was the only player who scored in double figures in that game, and she dominated.

Apr 7, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Baylor Lady Bears center Kalani Brown (21) during the second half in the championship game of the women's Final Four of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Bears won that game, as they beat the Longhorns 70-67. Baylor was 26-2 after that game, and the win over Texas was redemption from a previous game. The Longhorns beat them 85-79 in that meeting, and it was a road win for them. A few games later, the Bears picked up a road win of their own, and Brown led the way.

Phoenix's center had some other big performances in her college years. She had four 30-point games during that time, as she had 33 points against UCLA, 33 against Kansas State and 32 against TCU. Her game against UCLA was the same year she had her performance against Texas.

Aug 5, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) drives on Phoenix Mercury center Kalani Brown (21) in the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Brown's 33-point game against Kansas State was in 2018, and her performance against TCU was in 2019. In her final year, Brown averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 assists. Overall, she averaged 15.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.6 assists.

Brown and Baylor take down defending champs

When it comes to the Bears' championship year, they finished the season with a record of 37-1. They played well all year, and their only loss was to Stanford. They beat Notre Dame 82-81 in the big game, and stopped them from repeating. Notre Dame defeated Mississippi State the year before, and as a result, Kathryn Westbeld won a championship in her final season.

Brown is the Mercury's only player under contract, as others like Sabally and Thomas are set to become free agents. The Mercury center is one of the team's newer faces, and in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, she had 10 points, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal. She contributed at different points of the season, and next year, she may have a bigger role.

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