Liatu King — senior forward for the University of Pittsburgh women's basketball team — has been exceptional this season. Not only is her current 20.6 points per game average good for 17th best in the nation, but she is also the only player in the country to score a basket while sitting down.
During the fourth quarter Pitt's 66-71 loss to #16 ranked Notre Dame Thursday night, King — who finished the game with 34 points on 13-18 shooting, to go along with 13 rebounds and three blocks — was driving to the basket for a layup when she slipped and fell to the ground.
FROM THE GROUND ???
Have a day, @liatuking - 32 pts, 12 rebs ?#SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/SJddJtBah7
— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_WBB) January 5, 2024
Since the Notre Dame player defending her took a few steps backwards when King fell (as if to assert that she hadn't fouled Pitt's star forward), that allowed King to put a shot up while sitting on the court floor — which went in.
While King seemed to downplay the absurd shot after it went through the net, the Pitt bench reacting as if King has drained a game-winning buzzer beater made up for their star's stoicism.
The 34 points King scored Thursday night was a career high for her, and marked the most points by a Pitt player at their home stadium in over a decade. More so, the performance was King's second 30-point effort of her career, along with her eighth double-double of the season.
Although King's name hasn't been mentioned in many 2024 WNBA mock drafts to this point, one would imagine that more 30-point performances against top-tier teams will begin to garner interest from WNBA scouts. While King isn't the tallest forward, her scoring aptitude would seem to translate well into the professional game.
King came to Pitt as a freshman by way of Washington, D.C., where she was born and raised. Considering that the Washington Mystics hold the sixth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft — a pick that one recent mock draft currently has slotted for Angel Reese — maybe if King continues her current form, the Mystics could be convinced to select the hometown hero instead of LSU's superstar.
Even if not, at least King now has a highlight for the ages.
