Kalani Brown

Kalani Brown: A Brief Biography

Kalani Brown is a professional basketball player who plays as a Center, for the Dallas Wings, as of September 2024. Brown’s basketball career started in Salmen High School where she played for the team and was awarded McDonald’s All-American in 2015. She also played basketball at Baylor University from 2015 to 2019. While at Baylor, Brown played a key role in helping the team to an NCAA Championship in 2019. She was a three-time WBCA Coaches’ All-American and was awarded many honors such as Big 12 Player of the Year in 2018. She was also very effective at the defensive end, as she won the Big 12 All-Defensive Team nomination in 2017 and 2019.

Brown was drafted into the WNBA in the 2019 WNBA Draft where she was picked with the 7th overall pick by the Los Angeles Sparks. She has played for several teams in her professional basketball career including the Atlanta Dream and the Dallas Wings. Brown has also played internationally; she has played in leagues in China and Turkey. Brown is the daughter of P. J. Brown who used to play in the NBA and she has a family background in basketball.

Kalani Brown's Early Life

Kalani Brown was born on 21st March 1997 in Slidell, Louisiana to DeJuna (Dee) and P.J. Brown. Her father P.J. Brown played in NBA for 16 years and her mother also played college basketball for Louisiana Tech University. Being born and raised in a basketball-oriented family, Kalani had always been interested in the sport, as per ESPN. She has two sisters, Briana and Whitney, and a brother, Javani.

Kalani went to Salmen High School in Slidell and it did not take her long to become a star basketball player. Her excellent performance and height made her receive many achievements such as McDonald’s All-American in 2015. She then transitioned to Baylor University where she also excelled and went on to play for the university and subsequently to the WNBA.

Kalani Brown's Personal Life

Kalani Brown’s father, P.J. Brown is a retired NBA player while her mother DeJuna (Dee) Brown played college basketball for Louisiana Tech University. Her father played in the NBA for 15 seasons and also won a WNBA Championship, in his last season in the league with the Boston Celtics, in 2008. As a result of this kind of upbringing, Kalani was inclined to basketball and her family’s encouragement was very helpful in her progress as a player. In terms of her love life, Kalani Brown has not disclosed much information to the public domain.

Kalani Brown Family Background

Kalani Brown was born in Louisiana and always had the influence of basketball around her, primarily because both her parents were basketball players, especially her father who was in the NBA. Her father P.J Brown is a retired NBA player who played for 15 years in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat, Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. P.J. Brown was a good defender and a team captain, which was proved by the three times he was an NBA All-Defensive Team member and NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Kalani’s mother, DeJuna (Dee) Brown also has a background in basketball, she played college basketball for Louisiana Tech University. Dee later got a coaching job at Salmen High School where she coached Kalani during her high school years. Kalani has three siblings: Two sisters, Briana and Whitney, and a brother, Javani.

Kalani Brown Social Media

Kalani Brown is seen very often on social media posting about her life updates and games as well. She also likes making short videos for her fans, giving them a sneak peek into her life. Her Instagram account has the handle @kalanibrown.21. She also has a TikTok account, where she loves to make short-form content to engage her fans. Her username in TikTok is @kalanibrown.21.

Kalani Brown Brand ambassador

Kalani Brown has been involved with multiple brands as an ambassador, one of those being Fashion Nova, which is a clothing and lifestyle brand that is endorsed by Kalani on her social media pages often. She also creates different looks based on the offerings of the website and shows them on her Instagram posts and stories. Apart from this, she is also involved with Distinction Agency, which is an athlete-centered influencer marketing agency, which aims to improve the reach of athletes and influencers.

Kalani Brown Career Stats

Since her professional debut, Kalani Brown, a WNBA Center, has made a great difference. Selected 7th overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, Brown has also played for the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings. She averaged a career-high 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in the 2023 WNBA season. Below mentioned is a detailed account of her year-by-year statistics with all the WNBA teams that she has played for, as of September 2024:

Kalani Brown Achievements

Kalani Brown started her basketball career at Salmen High School in Sidell, from where she emerged as a McDonald’s All-American. This set the stage for her future as a professional basketball player, first for her college and then for the WNBA. Below mentioned are some of her most notable achievements in her career:

NCAA Championship (2019)

Kalani Brown played college basketball for Baylor University where she achieved many feats including winning the NCAA Championship in 2019. She was a dominant Center that was vital in clinching the title and she was awarded for her excellent display in the tournament.

Big 12 Player of the Year (2018)

In the year 2018, Brown was awarded the Big 12 Player of the Year, a title that was well deserved given her prowess in the game and her contribution to her team. This award placed her among the best players in the conference and demonstrated her scoring, rebounding, and defensive skills.

WBCA Coaches’ All-American (2017-2019)

Brown’s stellar performance on the basketball court saw her receive three WBCA Coaches’ All-American honors while in college. This award goes to the best players in women’s college basketball and Brown’s inclusion in this list was an indication of her contribution and ability.

Second-team All-American - USBWA (2019)

In 2019, Brown was selected into the All-American Second Team by the US Basketball Writer’s Association due to her stellar senior year at Baylor college, where she averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

All-American USBWA (2018)

Brown won an All-American nomination from the US Basketball Association in 2018, for her performances in her junior season, which included a career high 20.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Second-team All-American – AP (2018, 2019)

Due to Brown’s high-level seasons in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, she was also nominated in the All-American second-team by the Associated Press twice in 2018 and 2019 as well.

First-team All-Big 12 (2017 - 2019)

Brown was selected into the First-team All-Big 12 team thrice from 2017 to 2019, due to her consistent performances in these years for Baylor University.

Big 12 All-Freshman Team (2016)

Brown showed her potential in her very first season at Baylor University by averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game in her freshman year and set the tone for her future years, which helped her win a spot in the Big 12 All-Freshman Team in 2016.

McDonald’s All-American

Kalani Brown was also a McDonald’s All-American in 2015, coming out of high school, which signified her as one of the best basketball players and prospects for college basketball at the time.

WNBA Draft

In the WNBA Draft held in April 2019, Kalani Brown was picked at the 7th position by the Los Angeles Sparks.

Kalani Brown contract

Kalani Brown is on a 3-year $386,250 deal with the Dallas Wings, signed in 2024, which includes an average annual salary of $128,750. In 2024, Brown earns a base salary of $125,000 while carrying a cap hit of $125,000 and a dead cap value of $125,000. Prior to this contract, she had signed a 1-year $74,305 deal with the Dallas Wings, which included an average annual salary of $74,305. This deal was signed in 2023 after she was waived in the 2022 season and the deal lasted till the end of 2023, after which she became a Restricted Free Agent (RFA).