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2022-23 Women's Basketball Roster

Eduardo Garcia
Christina Leung
©Chris M. Leung Photography
Josiah Destin
Christina Leung
Christina Leung
Christina Leung
Christina Leung
Eduardo Garcia
Christina Leung

2 Kia Vaalavirta

2 Kia Vaalavirta

  • Position:
    Guard
  • Height:
    5-8
  • Class:
    Graduate Student
  • Hometown:
    Espoo, Finland
  • High School:
    Mäkelänrinteen Lukio

Summary

Biography

HONORS & AWARDS
- WCC All-Academic First Team - 2019-20

2022-23 (GRADUATE STUDENT):
  • Appeared in all 32 games for San Francisco, making 29 starts, averaging 5.1 points on a career-high 45% shooting in 17.4 minutes per game
  • Totaled a career-high 79 rebounds on the season
  • Scored a season-high 12 points on 5/9 shooting against Pacific on 1/12/23; also tied her rebounding career-high with 7 boards
  • Closed out her collegiate career at Washington in the First Round of the WNIT on 3/16/23, scoring 9 points on 4/6 shooting in 25 minutes of play
2021-22 (SENIOR):
  • Competed in 30 games this season for the Dons, including making three appearances in the starting lineup.
  • Played in 383 minutes for an average of 12.8 minutes played per contest.
  • Shot 32.9 percent from the field (25-76) and 32.3 percent from three-point distance (10-31).
  • Scored a season-high of 11 points in USF's road win over Tulsa on Dec. 22 while logging a season-high 26 minutes and scoring seven points and grabbing seven rebounds against Pacific in Stockton to help the Dons secure the road victory.
  • Finished her season by scoring three points in 24 minutes against Air Force in the WNIT. 
2020-21 (JUNIOR):
  • Played in 27 games all off the bench.
  • Logged 314 minutes averaging 11.7 minutes per contest.
  • Scored 88 points, averaging 3.3 points per game, while shooting 43.8 percent from the field (28-for-68), and 42.4 percent from 3-point range (14-for-33)...finished with two games in double figures.
  • Scored a season-high 11 points against Gonzaga on Jan. 16 going 4-for-7 from the field, had 11 in the Dons home win over Santa Clara where she was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
  • Finished the year with nine points in the loss against California Baptist in the second round of the WNIT.
2019-20 (SOPHOMORE):
  • Played in 29 of the Dons' 31 games with 23 starts.
  • Was moved into the starting point guard role on Dec. 14 after numerous injuries depleted the Dons' roster, and she shined there, setting or tying single-game career highs in four different categories and setting new season career highs in seven categories.
  • Named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic First Team after serving as the Dons' starting point guard for most of the season while carrying a 3.92 cumulative GPA in biology.
  • In her second year of college basketball, set new season highs in points (170, 5.9 per game), free-throw percentage (74.4%), 3-pointers made (28), assists (64) steals (24) and blocks (3).
  • Had five double-digit scoring games and made at least one 3-pointer in 18 contests.
  • Made a career-best six 3s and scored a season-high 18 points in the Dons' WCC opener versus Saint Mary's (Dec. 28).
  • Twice set a new career high for assists in a game, first with seven at Loyola Marymount on Jan. 9, then with eight in USF's 72-66 overtime win at Santa Clara (Feb. 1).
  • Second on the team with 28 made 3-pointers and a 74.4% free-throw percentage, fourth with a 28.0% 3-point percentage.
2018-19 (FRESHMAN):
  • Played in all 31 games during her first collegiate season with 11 starts, playing primarily as a reserve point guard.
  • Averaged 5.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while dishing 27 assists, grabbing 15 steals and shooting 33.3% from the field.
  • Made her college career debut in the season opener on Nov. 9 at home versus San Jose State where she collected three steals, issued three assists, tallied two rebounds and scored her first career points (2) in the Dons' 85-63 victory.
  • Scored in double figures seven times, including a season-high 20 points in the Dons' double-overtime game versus North Dakota on Dec. 21 in Deland, Fla.
  • She hit 25 3-pointers during the year, shooting 28.4% from deep.
  • Hit multiple 3-pointers in five games, with four treys on two occasions - Nov. 23 versus Northern Colorado and Dec. 29 versus San Diego.
  • Her first career 3-pointer came versus Cal Poly in Seaside, Calif., a buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter during the Dons' 65-62 win over the Mustangs.
PRIOR TO USF:
  • Was a two-time Finnish national champion with her U-16 club team, Tapiolan Honka.
  • Also placed second in the Finnish Women's League - the highest level in Finland - with Espoo United in 2017.
  • Averaged an impressive 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while playing in the Finland Women's Division I, earning her Best "6th Man" Honors from the league.
  • An all-around contributor while playing in U-16 and U-18 basketball in her home country of Finland, she averaged 9.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals in over 80 games played during those competitions.
  • Helped lead her U-19 Tapiolan Honka club team to two top-three finishes at the national level.
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Season:
2022-23
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Career Stats

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Historical Player Information

  • 2

    2018-19Freshman

    Guard
    5'8"
    2
  • 2

    2019-20Sophomore

    Guard
    5'8"
    2
  • 2

    2020-21Junior

    Guard
    5'8"
    2
  • 2

    2021-22Senior

    Guard
    5'8"
    2
  • 2

    2022-23Graduate Student

    Guard
    5'8"
    2