2025-26 Women's Basketball Roster
Roster
Kneepkens, Gianna
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/ Women's Basketball
Jersey Number 8
Gianna Kneepkens
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 6-0
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- High School:
- Duluth Marshall HS
- Hometown:
- Duluth, Minn.
- Previous School:
- Utah
Bio
Prior to UCLAโฆ
at Utah (2021-2025)
2024-25 (Senior)
A Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 Candidate, and named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team as well as named to the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Midseason Watchlistโฆ Named Big 12 Player of the Week after posting back-to-back 30 point games including a career-high 32 points against BYU (1/25)โฆ Against Kansas, Kneepkens was on the brink of a triple-double as she combined 30 points with 10 rebounds, for her first double-double of the season; also posted a season-high eight assistsโฆ Logged three 30 point games this season. Most recently she tied her career-high 32 points against UCF (2/8/25)โฆ Hit nine other 20-point games this season with the most recent when she scored 23 points against Texas Tech (3/6/25)โฆ. Knocked down three or more three pointers in 17 games this season and Utah was 14-3 in those gamesโฆ Averaged 19.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.03 apg and 1.03 spgโฆ Shot 50.4 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from the three and 89.0 percent from the lineโฆ Led the team in made three pointers (94-of-210) and made free throws (121-of-136)โฆ Ranked No. 16 in the NCAA in free throw percentage (89.0)โฆ Finished the season at No. 44 in the nation in scoring with 599 total points on the season and No. 29 in points per game with 19.3โฆ Ended the season in the Top 15 in every three point shooting categoryโฆ No. 12 in the nation in three pointers made with 94,ย No. 12 in the nation in three point percentage (44.8) and No. 8 in the nation in three pointers made per game (3.03)โฆ Had 248 total made three pointers in her Utah careerโฆ Sits at No. 3 on the school all-time threes made listโฆ Became the seventh Ute in school history to hit the 200 milestoneโฆ Hit 1,000 career points when she put up 19 against Carroll College (11/28/23)โฆ She now has 1,621 career pointsโฆ Has recorded four double-doubles in her career, most recently against Arizona State (2/15/25) with 24 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Before that against Kansas (1/22/25) she had 30 points and 10 rebounds. Previously, both occurred in the 2022-23 season, against Cal (1/22) with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Washington State (2/12), she recorded a career high 13 rebounds and put up 14 points.
2023-24 (Junior)
Played and started in eight games before suffering a season ending injuryโฆ Was a Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference selectionโฆ Earned spots on the watchlists for the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awardโฆ Hit 1,000 career points when she put up 19 against Carroll College (Nov. 28)โฆ Against EKU put up 16 points in just the third quarter, going 5-5 from the field, 4-4 from the three and 2-2 from the free throw lineโฆ Knocked down three or more three-pointers in all but one game his season, against Mississippi Valley State (4), South Carolina State (4), Baylor (3), Alaska Anchorage (4), EKU (5) and Carroll (3)โฆ Averaged 17.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.85 apg and 2.0 spgโฆ Shot 63.3% from the field, 54.0% from the three and 78.9% from the line.
2022-23 (Sophomore)
Earned WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and named to the Pac-12 First Team All-Conferenceโฆ Earned First Team All-Conference for the second time in her careerโฆ Was a Top 5 Candidate for the Cheryl Miller Awardโฆ Started in all 32 games and averaged 28.3 minutes, 15.3 points, and 5.2 rebounds per gameโฆ Scored in double figures in all but seven games this seasonโฆ Scored 20 or more points seven times, including a season high 28 points in the 84-78 win over No. 3 Stanfordโฆ Hit a three-pointer in 27-of-32 games, including a season high of five made three's on two separate occasionsโฆ Finished the season at third in the Pac-12 and 16th nationally at 42.3 percent from three-point rangeโฆ Recorded her first career double-double against Cal on Jan. 22 and later posted a career high 13 rebounds for her second double-double with 14 points against Washington State on Feb. 12โฆ Led the team in scoring 10 timesโฆ Shot 49.8 percent (160-for-321) from the field on the season, the fourth-best mark in the Pac-12โฆ Was an 83.1 percent (98-for-118) from the free-throw lineโฆ Named to the Naismith Award Watch List.
2021-22 (Freshman)
Was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Pac-12, and Pac-12 All-Freshman honorsโฆ Just the second player in Utah history to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honorsโฆ Was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors five times, tied for the most by one player during the 2021-22 seasonโฆ Appeared in 33 games while making 25 starts and averaged 23.7 minutes, 11.8 points, and 4.4 rebounds per gameโฆ Scored a career-high 29 points off the bench against BYU (12/5)โฆ Hit a three-pointer in 29-of-33 games, including hitting at least one three-pointer in 22 straight games (12/21 โ 3/18)โฆ Led the team in scoring 11 times during her freshman season while scoring in double-figures in 20 contestsโฆ Shot 38.4 percent (56-for-146) on three-pointers on the season, the ninth-best mark in the Pac-12โฆ Was an 87.1 percent (61-for-70) from the free-throw line. This is the ninth-best mark in a single season in school history.
High School
Became just the 12th player in Minnesota Prep girls basketball history to score 3,000+ career points out of Duluth Marshall HS, finishing with 3,704 which ranks fourth all-timeโฆ Four-star recruit on Prospect Nationโฆ Prep Girls Hoops Class AA Player of the Year and News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year as a seniorโฆ Three-time all-state, and all-area, four-time all-conferenceโฆ Set the state tournament record for points in a game, dropping 67 in the state tournament in 2021 where she averaged 43.1 points per gameโฆ Averaged 31.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.8 steals and 4.6 assists per game as a juniorโฆ Led Duluth Marshall to its first state tournament in 20 yearsโฆ Played AAU for the Minnesota Fury, winning two state championships while playing second at the AAU Under Armour Nationalsโฆ Was also a two-time all-conference and all-state soccer player.
Personal
Daughter of Donald and Betsy โฆ has five brothers โฆ was her high school's class president.
at Utah (2021-2025)
2024-25 (Senior)
A Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 Candidate, and named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Midseason Team as well as named to the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Midseason Watchlistโฆ Named Big 12 Player of the Week after posting back-to-back 30 point games including a career-high 32 points against BYU (1/25)โฆ Against Kansas, Kneepkens was on the brink of a triple-double as she combined 30 points with 10 rebounds, for her first double-double of the season; also posted a season-high eight assistsโฆ Logged three 30 point games this season. Most recently she tied her career-high 32 points against UCF (2/8/25)โฆ Hit nine other 20-point games this season with the most recent when she scored 23 points against Texas Tech (3/6/25)โฆ. Knocked down three or more three pointers in 17 games this season and Utah was 14-3 in those gamesโฆ Averaged 19.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.03 apg and 1.03 spgโฆ Shot 50.4 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from the three and 89.0 percent from the lineโฆ Led the team in made three pointers (94-of-210) and made free throws (121-of-136)โฆ Ranked No. 16 in the NCAA in free throw percentage (89.0)โฆ Finished the season at No. 44 in the nation in scoring with 599 total points on the season and No. 29 in points per game with 19.3โฆ Ended the season in the Top 15 in every three point shooting categoryโฆ No. 12 in the nation in three pointers made with 94,ย No. 12 in the nation in three point percentage (44.8) and No. 8 in the nation in three pointers made per game (3.03)โฆ Had 248 total made three pointers in her Utah careerโฆ Sits at No. 3 on the school all-time threes made listโฆ Became the seventh Ute in school history to hit the 200 milestoneโฆ Hit 1,000 career points when she put up 19 against Carroll College (11/28/23)โฆ She now has 1,621 career pointsโฆ Has recorded four double-doubles in her career, most recently against Arizona State (2/15/25) with 24 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Before that against Kansas (1/22/25) she had 30 points and 10 rebounds. Previously, both occurred in the 2022-23 season, against Cal (1/22) with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Washington State (2/12), she recorded a career high 13 rebounds and put up 14 points.
2023-24 (Junior)
Played and started in eight games before suffering a season ending injuryโฆ Was a Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference selectionโฆ Earned spots on the watchlists for the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awardโฆ Hit 1,000 career points when she put up 19 against Carroll College (Nov. 28)โฆ Against EKU put up 16 points in just the third quarter, going 5-5 from the field, 4-4 from the three and 2-2 from the free throw lineโฆ Knocked down three or more three-pointers in all but one game his season, against Mississippi Valley State (4), South Carolina State (4), Baylor (3), Alaska Anchorage (4), EKU (5) and Carroll (3)โฆ Averaged 17.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.85 apg and 2.0 spgโฆ Shot 63.3% from the field, 54.0% from the three and 78.9% from the line.
2022-23 (Sophomore)
Earned WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and named to the Pac-12 First Team All-Conferenceโฆ Earned First Team All-Conference for the second time in her careerโฆ Was a Top 5 Candidate for the Cheryl Miller Awardโฆ Started in all 32 games and averaged 28.3 minutes, 15.3 points, and 5.2 rebounds per gameโฆ Scored in double figures in all but seven games this seasonโฆ Scored 20 or more points seven times, including a season high 28 points in the 84-78 win over No. 3 Stanfordโฆ Hit a three-pointer in 27-of-32 games, including a season high of five made three's on two separate occasionsโฆ Finished the season at third in the Pac-12 and 16th nationally at 42.3 percent from three-point rangeโฆ Recorded her first career double-double against Cal on Jan. 22 and later posted a career high 13 rebounds for her second double-double with 14 points against Washington State on Feb. 12โฆ Led the team in scoring 10 timesโฆ Shot 49.8 percent (160-for-321) from the field on the season, the fourth-best mark in the Pac-12โฆ Was an 83.1 percent (98-for-118) from the free-throw lineโฆ Named to the Naismith Award Watch List.
2021-22 (Freshman)
Was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Pac-12, and Pac-12 All-Freshman honorsโฆ Just the second player in Utah history to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honorsโฆ Was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors five times, tied for the most by one player during the 2021-22 seasonโฆ Appeared in 33 games while making 25 starts and averaged 23.7 minutes, 11.8 points, and 4.4 rebounds per gameโฆ Scored a career-high 29 points off the bench against BYU (12/5)โฆ Hit a three-pointer in 29-of-33 games, including hitting at least one three-pointer in 22 straight games (12/21 โ 3/18)โฆ Led the team in scoring 11 times during her freshman season while scoring in double-figures in 20 contestsโฆ Shot 38.4 percent (56-for-146) on three-pointers on the season, the ninth-best mark in the Pac-12โฆ Was an 87.1 percent (61-for-70) from the free-throw line. This is the ninth-best mark in a single season in school history.
High School
Became just the 12th player in Minnesota Prep girls basketball history to score 3,000+ career points out of Duluth Marshall HS, finishing with 3,704 which ranks fourth all-timeโฆ Four-star recruit on Prospect Nationโฆ Prep Girls Hoops Class AA Player of the Year and News Tribune All-Area Player of the Year as a seniorโฆ Three-time all-state, and all-area, four-time all-conferenceโฆ Set the state tournament record for points in a game, dropping 67 in the state tournament in 2021 where she averaged 43.1 points per gameโฆ Averaged 31.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.8 steals and 4.6 assists per game as a juniorโฆ Led Duluth Marshall to its first state tournament in 20 yearsโฆ Played AAU for the Minnesota Fury, winning two state championships while playing second at the AAU Under Armour Nationalsโฆ Was also a two-time all-conference and all-state soccer player.
Personal
Daughter of Donald and Betsy โฆ has five brothers โฆ was her high school's class president.
UCLA W. Basketball - Postgame Press Conference vs. SDSU (Nov. 3, 2025)
Tuesday, November 04
UCLA W. Basketball Media Availability - Players (Oct. 29, 2025)
Wednesday, October 29
UCLA W. Basketball Media Availability - Coach Close (Oct. 29, 2025)
Wednesday, October 29
UCLA W. Basketball Media Availability - Players (Oct. 1, 2025)
Wednesday, October 01
