Player Spotlight: Kirsty Brown

From Caledonia to California, and back, Kirsty Brown has left her mark across the basketball world, and continues to do so at the heart of GB Basketball’s squad.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Brown’s family moved to the U.S. when she was just seven years old. She was introduced to basketball by her middle school coach, who spotted her natural athleticism and limitless potential. It helped that she was a head taller than any of her classmates.

“Up until I moved to the States, I had never heard of basketball; my family knew nothing about it.

“When I was 11 years old, I was the tallest kid in my school, and my friend’s dad was the coach of our middle school team, and he said, ‘You’re tall, you should give basketball a try’.

“I played all three years in middle school, but I was playing about nine different sports, so I always had something going on and was never doing basketball full time.”

Kirsty Brown playing for Cal Poly

Brown became an omnitalented athlete at Amador Valley High School, competing in the 300-metre hurdles 2017 CIF State Championship, setting a school-record performance of 44.6 seconds, clearing 5.2 feet to win the league championship in high-jumping as a senior, and even playing water polo.

In 2017, she won the school’s Athlete of the Year award. But it was soon clear that basketball was her true calling.

She captained her high school team for three straight years, earning recognition as the Most Improved player in her sophomore year, and the team’s Most Valuable Player in her Junior year. In her senior year, she averaged 10.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in the North Coast Section Division 1, ranking fourth in the NCS in rebounding average, as well as first in the East Bay Athletic League, earning her a host of honourable mentions.

Brown leant into her strengths, developing into a dominant rebounder and defender. Whilst most kids in California wanted to shoot threes from half-court like Steph, or take on all five defenders like Kobe, Kirsty dreamed of perfectly timed screens and defensive rotations…

“Growing up in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors were the team. The player I loved to watch was Andrew Bogut. I had his jersey; he was my favourite player; he played my position, and I really liked how he played.

“As I got more into basketball and learned about different players, I was a huge fan of Kelsey Plum. She was someone that I really admired.”

Brown’s elite play landed her an offer from Cal Poly and an opportunity to elevate her basketball career. In a five-year journey as a Mustang, Kirsty broke the record for most games played with 125, becoming a college legend.

“I loved it,” Brown said, speaking on her time at Cal Poly, “I was fortunate to have such great teammates, such great coaches, throughout my five years there.

“I ended up setting the record for most games played, which was awesome. It's nice to leave a little bit of history behind.”

With a successful college career behind her and having signed with an agent, it was time for Kirsty to come home.

“I had always said I had wanted to come back to the UK. I left when I was seven, and so I never got the chance to experience living there in adulthood.

But I had never considered being able to come back and play basketball. When I got the offer to play basketball and also achieve this goal that I’ve personally had about living in the UK, it was a dream.”

Kirsty Brown playing for Leicester Riders

Kirsty Brown for Caledonia Gladiators

In game action at the Copper Box

Brown first signed with the Leicester Riders in 2022, averaging 9.5 points and 7.1 rebounds across 26 games in her rookie season in the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL).

With a pro season under her belt, Kirsty completed her homecoming, moving back to Scotland to play for the Caledonia Gladiators.

“It was a huge draw for me to come back to Caledonia because most of my family is still there. My mum is from Glasgow and my dad is from Edinburgh, so we have family from all over.

“It definitely felt like a homecoming.”

And what a return it has been. In just two seasons up North, Brown has solidified herself as one of the most consistent bigs in the league, playing a key role in two successful seasons for the Galdiators, capped off by their victory in the 2025 Betty Codona Trophy Final.

“It was such a trippy experience. It was so fun. We had had a pretty up-and-down start to the season, and for us to be putting in the work that we were and not see the results that we wanted was frustrating.

“So, when it started coming together in the semi-final game against Sheffield and then obviously in the trophy itself, which was a super intense game, it was just so exciting. It felt like all our hard work had really paid off.”

Brown made her debut for GB Basketball in the 2023 EuroBasket Qualifiers, recording five rebounds in a blow-out win over Estonia.

“I remember when I got the first phone call, and I was literally so excited and immediately celebrated with my roommates. I had reached out back in my freshman year of college, when I was 18, to try and get involved with the U20s team, and that never really happened, so I wasn’t really expecting to hear about the senior team.

“When it did happen, I was so, so excited.”

Caledonia Gladiators Head Coach Chantelle Handy was appointed Assistant Coach for GB Basketball, ahead of EuroBasket 2025 this summer, and Brown spoke on the importance of having a familiar face in this new and demanding environment.

“It's huge. I love Chan, and I love playing for Chan, so having her here as just that extra support is awesome. And obviously, I’m so comfortable with her as a coach as well, so it's just nice being in a different setting with one of the same coaches. It really makes a difference in terms of confidence and comfort.”

Brown is currently in Hamburg, Germany with GB Basketball ahead of the Women's EuroBasket 2025 kicking off. The team had a challenging start to their campaign during the preparation matches but the squad, led by Head Coach Anna Montañana, will have confidence that they can turn some positive performances into results.

Kirsty Brown in training for the Women's EuroBasket 2025

It's been an intense camp, but it's been super fun. We’re all getting along, and we’re all working super hard and finally seeing stuff come together. “All the work that we’ve put in, we know how much talent we have, it's really exciting, and I’m looking forward to seeing it come to fruition.Kirsty Brown