Lawrence Signs with Fixi Piramis Torino

MACON, Ga. – Kahlia Lawrence, a recent graduate and student-athlete for the Mercer Women's Basketball team, has signed a professional contract to play with the Fixi Piramis Torino in Italy.

"I'm extremely excited to continue my basketball career both professionally and in the beautiful country of Italy," stated Lawrence. "This is something I've worked for my entire life and I thank God that I am able to continue to play at the pro level. I plan on taking full advantage of this opportunity. I am beyond grateful for Pallacanestro Torino having faith in my abilities and extremely thankful for everyone that's supported me along the way."

Lawrence, a native of Columbus, Ga., signed with the Panthers along with four other newcomers including Taya Reimer of Notre Dame. Lawrence became Mercer's first ever Southern Conference Female Athlete of the Year, in addition to becoming the first-ever three-time SoCon Player of the Year. Lawrence was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx with the 24^th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, becoming the highest drafted player in SoCon history.

Lawrence concluded her Mercer career with 2,275 points, ranking third in Mercer and SoCon history, after averaging 17.2 points per game over four seasons. The Georgia native led Mercer to three consecutive SoCon regular season titles and earned All-SoCon First Team honors three times in her career. Lawrence also guided Mercer to four consecutive postseason berths, including the program's first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance in 2018 after defeating ETSU in the SoCon Championship for the Bears' first-ever SoCon Tournament Title.

"We all knew that Kahlia had the ability to play beyond college," said Mercer Head Coach Susie Gardner. "It's really exciting for her and her family as well as her Mercer Basketball family to be able to watch her live out her dream of playing professionally. To see her grow not only as a basketball player but also as a person has been exciting to watch and I'm looking forward to seeing how it translates to the pro game in Italy."

Fixi Piramis Torino partakes in Serie A1 Women's League in Italy. During the 2017-18 season, the Panthers concluded the first stage of the campaign with a 6-12 overall record. The Panthers had a better run in the second stage, finishing with a 9-13 mark to qualify for the playoffs. Fixi Piramis Torino was bounced from the playoffs in the opening round, dropping two games to second-seeded Venezia.

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Players Mentioned

Kahlia Lawrence

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