Key keywords: Former Andover standout, KU Women's Basketball, 2024 WBIT Semifinals, Women's College Basketball Postseason, Kansas Jayhawks WBIT Run, Andover High School Basketball Alumni, NCAA Women's Invitational Tournament Kansas University women’s basketball fans have plenty to celebrate this week, as former Andover High School standout guard Lila Brown has led the Jayhawks to the semifinal round of the 2024 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), marking the program’s first deep postseason run in three years. Brown, a 5-foot-9 junior guard who graduated from Andover High in 2022, was a household name in Kansas high school basketball circles before joining the KU program. During her senior season at Andover, she averaged 27.2 points, 6.8 assists and 4.1 steals per game, leading the Warriors to their second consecutive 5A state championship and earning Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year honors. Her transition to the Division I level had its growing pains early on, but she emerged as a core starter for the Jayhawks this season, averaging 14.3 points and 3.7 assists per game across regular season and Big 12 tournament play. In the Jayhawks’ WBIT quarterfinal win over West Virginia on March 28, Brown turned in one of the best performances of her college career, dropping 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting (including 4-of-6 from 3-point range), adding 5 assists, 3 steals and zero turnovers in 34 minutes of play. Her late-game 3-pointer with 12 seconds left sealed the 72-69 win for KU, punching the team’s ticket to the semifinal round in Indianapolis, where they will face Penn State on April 1. The Jayhawks’ path to the WBIT semifinals has been defined by consistent team play and Brown’s steady leadership. They defeated UTSA 79-59 in the first round of the tournament, followed by a 68-62 road win over Ohio in the second round to set up the quarterfinal matchup with West Virginia. Brown has scored in double figures in all three WBIT games so far, averaging 18.7 points per game in the tournament, good for second on the team behind senior center Taiyanna Jackson. KU head coach Brandon Schneider praised Brown’s impact on the program in a post-game press conference following the West Virginia win. “Lila brings that competitive fire every single day, whether it’s practice or a postseason game,” Schneider said. “Her roots as a winner at Andover High show through in every big moment, and she’s been the engine that’s kept us going through this WBIT run. We wouldn’t be where we are without her.” For Brown, the chance to play in a national semifinal is a full-circle moment. “I grew up watching KU basketball with my family, and to be able to represent this university on a stage like this is a dream come true,” Brown told reporters. “I still keep in touch with my high school coach at Andover, and he’s been texting me after every game to congratulate me. All the work I put in back in high school got me here, and I’m not ready to stop now.” The winner of the KU vs. Penn State semifinal will advance to the WBIT championship game on April 3, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal matchup between Villanova and Washington State.