Rachel Banham Bio
Rachel Banham is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also represents the Lunar Owls BC in the Unrivaled off-season league. Drafted fourth overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2016, Banham has built her career as a reliable perimeter scorer and veteran guard across multiple franchises.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Banham starred at the University of Minnesota, where she became the program’s all-time leading scorer and one of the most decorated players in Big Ten Conference history. Known for her shooting range and competitive toughness, she has continued to contribute at the professional level after overcoming significant knee injuries during her career.
Early Life and Background
Rachel Banham was born on July 15, 1993, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She grew up in the Twin Cities area and attended Lakeville North High School in Lakeville, Minnesota, graduating in 2011. Her early life was shaped by a strong family connection to sports, with deep ties to Minnesota’s basketball community that would later influence her career path.
Banham joined the varsity basketball team at Lakeville North as an eighth grader, an unusual step that highlighted her advanced skill set for her age. During her senior season, she averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and four assists per game, leading her squad to a 29-3 record and a conference championship. Her performance that year earned her the title of Minnesota Miss Basketball in 2011.
Path to Professional Basketball
After high school, Banham committed to the University of Minnesota, continuing her education and basketball career with the Golden Gophers. As a freshman in 2011-2012, she started all 36 games and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year while averaging 16.1 points per game. Her rapid development established her as one of the conference’s top young guards.
Banham continued to grow as a scorer in her following seasons, averaging 20.7 points as a sophomore and 22.1 points as a junior, adding 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists during her junior year. Her senior season was interrupted by a season-ending ACL injury in 2014-2015, but she received a medical hardship waiver and returned for 2015-2016 in dominant fashion. That final college season culminated in her being named Big Ten Player of the Year, Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year, and a First-Team All-American.
Rachel Banham Career
WNBA Draft and Early Career (2016-2019)
Rachel Banham was selected by the Connecticut Sun with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft. As a rookie, she appeared in 15 games and averaged 3.7 points, 1 assist, and 1 rebound while shooting 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range. Her first season was cut short on July 10 when she suffered a torn MCL that required microfracture surgery, pausing her early professional development.
Banham’s most productive season with the Sun came in 2018, when she averaged a career-high 5.2 points per game. Across her four seasons in Connecticut, she averaged roughly 11.4 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, and 1 rebound per game as she adjusted to a reserve role. Her shooting touch and court vision remained her defining traits even in limited minutes.
Minnesota Lynx Era (2020-2023)
On February 25, 2020, Rachel Banham was acquired by the Minnesota Lynx in a sign-and-trade deal that sent a 2021 second-round pick to Connecticut. During the 2020 WNBA season held in the Bradenton bubble, she reached new career highs with 17.4 minutes, 6.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game. She delivered her strongest professional performance on September 12, 2020, scoring 29 points with 10 assists and seven made three-pointers against the Indiana Fever.
Banham’s role shifted in 2021 following the offseason additions of Kayla McBride, Natalie Achonwa, and Aerial Powers to the Lynx roster. She was waived on June 29, 2021, to help clear salary cap space, but she rejoined the team on July 5 after clearing waivers. She continued to contribute as a perimeter shooter and veteran presence through the 2023 season.
Connecticut Sun Return and Chicago Sky (2024-Present)
Banham returned to the Connecticut Sun in February 2024, signing a two-year contract with the franchise. On July 14, 2024, she set a WNBA record by making eight three-pointers off the bench. Just three days later, on July 17, 2024, she was traded to the Chicago Sky alongside Moriah Jefferson, a 2025 first-round pick, and rights to swap 2026 first-round picks in exchange for Marina Mabrey and a 2025 second-round pick.
Since joining the Sky, Banham has continued to serve as a reliable scoring option off the bench. She is currently listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 181 pounds, a physical profile well-suited to the modern WNBA guard position. Her experience and shooting ability have made her a steady contributor for Chicago.
Driving Style and Strengths
Banham is recognized as a perimeter-oriented guard whose primary strength is her three-point shooting. She owns a WNBA single-game record for three-pointers made off the bench and has consistently stretched defenses throughout her career. Her experience, court awareness, and ability to play within a structured offensive system have allowed her to remain productive even in reduced minutes.
Notable Events and Milestones
Banham tied an NCAA single-game record with a 60-point performance against Northwestern on February 7, 2016, one of the most memorable individual games in women’s college basketball history. She finished her college career as the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer with 3,093 points and ranked sixth on the NCAA Division I women’s career scoring list at the time of her graduation. Her combination of college and professional milestones marks her as one of the most accomplished Minnesota basketball products of her generation.
Rachel Banham Career Wins
While detailed WNBA win totals were not fully verifiable from the source inputs, Rachel Banham has compiled a professional resume highlighted by individual scoring records rather than team championships. Her career has been defined more by shooting milestones and longevity than by championship hardware.
WNBA Highlights
Banham’s standout professional moments include her record-setting eight three-pointers off the bench on July 14, 2024, and her 29-point, 10-assist performance against the Indiana Fever in 2020. Both games illustrated her scoring ceiling and her playmaking ability when given expanded minutes. She has appeared in WNBA regular-season action for the Connecticut Sun, Minnesota Lynx, and Chicago Sky.
College Highlights
Banham earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2012 and was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches in 2013, 2014, and 2016. She was also a two-time Honorable Mention All-American in 2013 and 2014 before earning First-Team All-American status in 2016.
Rachel Banham Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Rachel Banham grew up in the Minneapolis area and built her early basketball identity within Minnesota’s strong high school basketball tradition. Her development at Lakeville North and her later dominance at the University of Minnesota reflect the influence of a competitive regional basketball culture. Specific details about her parents were not available in the source materials reviewed.
Personal Life
Rachel Banham became engaged to Andre Hollins, her longtime boyfriend and former Minnesota Golden Gopher basketball player, at Williams Arena on January 2, 2022. The engagement was announced publicly on social media. She and Hollins share a connection rooted in their college basketball careers at the University of Minnesota.
2025 Season Performance
Rachel Banham entered the 2025 WNBA season as a veteran guard for the Chicago Sky following her mid-2024 trade from Connecticut. Her role within the Sky rotation has continued to emphasize perimeter shooting and steady backcourt play. As of the end of the 2025 regular season, she remained an active contributor on the roster.
Her veteran presence has provided depth at the guard position alongside younger Sky players. Off the court, Banham was also drafted by Lunar Owls BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season, an announcement made on November 5, 2025, signaling her continued involvement in elite off-season basketball competition.
Looking ahead, Banham’s combination of shooting record-holding production and professional experience positions her as a steady contributor for Chicago and a notable figure in Unrivaled’s 2026 season. Her career arc, marked by major injury comebacks and scoring milestones, continues to underscore her reputation as one of the more resilient guards in the modern WNBA.
