Dustin Simcox and the rest of the Whitecox & Lyons Sports Management team are excited to announce the latest signing of Kiara Belen. Belen, a 5’11 American G/F from Las Vegas, Nevada finished all four years of her collegiate basketball career for Division I Institution University of California, Irvine. Following her senior year she also competed in Cycle 19 of America’s Next Top Model hosted by Tyra Banks.
Player Highlight’s
Kiara attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas where she began her calling card of a hard nose defender and reliable scorer. She posted a career high 42 points in a win against Western which helped her to be selected to the Nevada All State 2nd Team. She was a key contributor in Bishop Gorman winning three consecutive Nevada Class 4A State Championships earning a scholarship to UC Irvine along the way.
As a freshman at Irvine, Belen played in 27 games including one start posting averages of 2.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. As a sophomore for the Anteaters she played in 16 games with averages of 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. She had high games of 10 points against the University of the Pacific and 8 rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield. Kiara stepped into her starting role for Irvine her junior year when she started 23 of 29 games she played in. She averaged career highs across the board with 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. She posted season highs of 16 points on two separate occasions, once against Seattle University and once against Northern Colorado University.
Belen, in a America’s Next Top model photoshoot.
Belen’s best season would be her senior season when she started all 31 games for the Anteaters. She averaged 6.1 points and 4 rebounds for the season while shooting 40 percent from the floor. Her best scoring output of the season was a career high 17 points against Northern Colorado to go along with two rebounds, three assists, and a perfect 7 for 7 from the free throw line. Belen also put solid numbers in games against Pacific (11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals), Cal State Fullerton (10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists), Riverside (11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists), and an all around performance in game two against Riverside in which she posted 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals, and 2 assists. Overall, Belen played 102 games for Irvine including 54 starts.
America’s Next Top Model Career
Following the conclusion of her senior season, Belen entered herself into the running for America’s Next Top Model’s Cycle 19 “College Edition” that was hosted by Tyra Banks. After thousands and thousands of applicants, Belen was chosen to be one of thirteen contestants on the show.
During the season she was the winner of the ANTM acting challenge which won her a role on an upcoming Tyler Perry production. Belen, represented herself and Irvine extremely well as she finished 2nd in the entire competition and placing herself in rare company as an up and coming top model. She credits her athletic background as a key component to her current success.
Agent’s Comments
“I am very excited to have the chance to represent Kiara in her attempts to make a lifelong dream of professional basketball a reality. She has proved that she can play the game at a very high level from her time at Irvine and has proved through her ANTM performances that she can mentally handle the high intensity pressures as well. She has a great future ahead of her and we are hopeful we can add the professional athlete title to the long list of accomplishments she has already received.” –Dustin Simcox