Purdue Alumnus

Ukari Figgs
A Champion Career: Ukari Figgs

Ukari Figgs (ME’99) is one of the most accomplished athletes in Purdue history.

Born in Georgetown, Kentucky, in 1977, Figgs was an immensely talented basketball player in high school. In 1995, she led her high school team to a state championship and earned the title of Kentucky’s Miss Basketball the same year.

During the 1998–99 season, she cocaptained the Purdue women’s basketball team alongside Stephanie White (LA’99), leading the women’s basketball team to the first national basketball title in school history. Figgs was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

After graduation, Figgs went on to play for Los Angeles Sparks for three seasons, including as part of the WNBA championship team in 2001.

“I walk into an interview, and people know that I went to Purdue,” says Figgs. “Then they’re like, ‘Wait a minute, you actually played basketball at the same time?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, and I was the MVP, and I took a final during the Final Four. No big deal.’”

Today, she works for Toyota Motors Manufacturing of Kentucky as an assistant manager in the production engineering department.

Read more about Ukari Figgs and the 1999 championship.