Many would agree that the WNBA is a tough nut to crack. Unlike their male counterparts, only 12 teams with around 144 roster spots are available. Hence, very few players can make it to the roster and stay there. Moreover, it can get overwhelming when you are playing on a star-studded roster. However, this isn’t true for the Las Vegas Aces guard, Kierstan Bell.

Playing her third season, Kierstan Bell has only continued to grow in her role as one of the Aces’ strongest bench contributors. So, let’s explore how the best player in Florida Gulf Coast history became a part of the Aces’ integral force.

Kierstan Bell set Florida Gulf Coast University on fire

Born in Canton, Ohio, Kierstan Bell is the daughter of Perry Bell and Amanda Hubbs. She attended the Canton McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio, and became the first player in the school’s history to be named Ms. Basketball thrice. As a high school varsity player, Bell revolutionized the game by simply raising the bar with her performance.

In her 4-year career, she led Canton McKinley to a 93-14 record, finishing 100+ games with double-digit scores. The McDonald’s All-American concluded her career by becoming the school’s 4th leading prep scorer and tallied 2,833 points, surpassing legends like Katie Smith and Semeka Randall.

In 2019, she graduated high school as the 8th best overall recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz and committed to Ohio State University. Leading the Buckeyes in an outstanding freshman season, Bell earned all-Big 10 honors. However, she then transferred to Florida Gulf Coast University. Continuing her college basketball career, she made her presence felt by becoming the first player in the program’s history to register a 20-20 game in her debut.

She had 24 points, 20 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. She finished the season tallying among the nation’s top 10 in almost every aspect from field goals to rebounds, 3-pointers, points, double-doubles, etc., and demonstrating her impact.

Then, in her junior year, she won several accolades like the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year honor. Moreover, she set a new ASUN record for the number of times winning Player of the Week honors. She registered 5 30+ point games and had 6 double-doubles in the season. More so, she holds the program record for most career double-doubles at 24. Finishing her college basketball career, Bell declared for an early WNBA draft and was projected to go in the first round by several networks. It was her time to play a bigger game.

Bell’s prominence in the WNBA

Concluding her college basketball career with 1505 points, 583 rebounds, 178 assists, 136 steals, and 130 blocks, Kierstan Bell was selected as the 11th overall pick by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2022 WNBA draft. Getting opportunities was always going to be tough for Bell on a team that had A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Candace Parker.

Bell came in as an elite scorer and has been improving her game since then. But doing it fast wasn’t the idea Bell had in mind. As a rookie, she didn’t play much, appearing in only 21 games in which she averaged 6 minutes per game. Simply put, she had a slow start, while counting on the opportunities.

“Opportunities, man, when opportunities come your way, you have to take advantage of them. Last year, I didn’t play as much or at all. So, taking that from last year into this year, I have a different role this year, and I’m going to have to fill some shoes,” she said on her change in the role while being an off-the-bench scorer.

But off the bench didn’t mean she wasn’t ready to roll. Rather, she was making the most of every opportunity she was given. “It’s just knowing when my number’s called, being ready and knowing that my teammates trust me and hold me accountable just as I hold them accountable. ” Making the most of everything has been keeping her on her game, as she would become a sponge while talking to Sydney Colson and Alysha Clark to understand what it takes to be a strong bench contributor.

However, this has come after a lot of practice to refine her defense. Being a 6-footer, Bell never had any troubles on offense and knew that she needed to work on her defensive skills. As a result, she put in the hours in the off-season and played overseas and played at the AU. She picked up on defensive techniques and how to be more aggressive. Hence, she is on a continuous quest to develop herself as a strong player on both ends of the court that could benefit the team.

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