Rachel Banham Bio
Rachel Banham is an American professional basketball player who plays guard for the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also represents the Lunar Owls of Unrivaled. A longtime perimeter shooter, Banham played her college career at the University of Minnesota, where she became the program’s all-time leading scorer. She entered the league as a first-round pick and has continued to build a reputation as a dependable veteran.
Standing 178 cm and listed at 82 kg, Banham has carved out a long professional career through sharp shooting and steady ball handling. She is engaged to Andre Hollins, a former basketball player she met in the Minnesota basketball community.
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 family encouraged her early interest in sports, and basketball quickly became her main focus as a young athlete.
Banham started on the varsity basketball team as an eighth grader and continued to develop into one of the top guards in Minnesota high school basketball. During her senior year, she averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and four assists per game. She led her squad to a 29-3 record and a conference championship, establishing herself as a high-major college recruit.
Her high school success drew attention from several college programs, and she ultimately chose to stay close to home at the University of Minnesota. That decision set the stage for one of the most productive college careers in Big Ten history.
Path to Professional Basketball
Banham joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers and immediately made an impact. As a freshman in 2011-2012, she started all 36 games, averaged 16.1 points per game, and was named Freshman All-American First Team and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Her scoring touch translated right away to the college level.
Across her next three seasons, Banham grew into a star. She averaged 20.7 points per game as a sophomore in 2012-2013, and 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game as a junior in 2013-2014. Entering her senior year in 2014-2015, she had appeared in just 10 games before suffering a season-ending ACL injury, which led to a medical hardship waiver so she could return for 2015-2016.
When she came back healthy, Banham was dominant. She tied an NCAA record with a 60-point game against Northwestern on February 7, 2016, and was named Big Ten Player of the Year, First-team All-American, and Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year. She finished her college career as the Big Ten Conference’s all-time scoring leader and the sixth-leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s history, with 3,093 points.
Rachel Banham Career
Early Career (2016-2017)
Banham was selected fourth overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2016 WNBA draft. As a rookie, she played in 15 games and averaged 10.9 minutes, 3.7 points, 1 assist, and 1 rebound per game while shooting 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range. Her rookie year was cut short on July 10, 2016, when she tore her MCL and underwent microfracture surgery.
Despite the injury, the Sun kept Banham in their development plans, and she continued to refine her perimeter game. She spent her next seasons in Connecticut building consistency, learning the professional game, and adjusting to the speed and physicality of the WNBA.
Connecticut Sun Tenure (2017-2019)
Banham’s best season in Connecticut came in 2018, when she averaged a career-high 5.2 points per game at that point. Across her first four seasons with the Sun, she averaged 11.4 minutes, 4 points, 1 assist, and 1 rebound per game. Playing time was limited, but she remained a reliable shooter off the bench.
Heading into the 2020 season, the Sun made several roster moves, and Banham became part of a sign-and-trade deal. She was acquired by the Minnesota Lynx on February 25, 2020, with the Sun receiving a 2021 second-round pick in return. This move opened a new chapter in her career.
Minnesota Lynx Era (2020-2023)
During the 2020 WNBA season in the Bradenton bubble, Banham posted several career highs, averaging 17.4 minutes, 6.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game. On September 12, 2020, she delivered her best professional performance, scoring 29 points with 10 assists and seven made three-pointers against the Indiana Fever.
The 2021 season brought a reduced role after the Lynx signed Kayla McBride, Natalie Achonwa, and Aerial Powers in the offseason. Banham was waived on June 29, 2021, to create salary cap space, then re-signed to a rest-of-season deal on July 5, 2021. She continued to contribute as a steady veteran through her final seasons with the Lynx.
Return to Connecticut and Move to Chicago (2024-Present)
Banham returned to the Connecticut Sun in February 2024, signing a two-year deal. On July 14, 2024, she set a WNBA record with eight made three-pointers off the bench. Three days later, on July 17, 2024, she was traded to the Chicago Sky along with Moriah Jefferson, a 2025 first-round pick, and the rights to swap 2026 first-round picks. The Sun received Marina Mabrey and a 2025 second-round pick in return.
With the Sky, Banham has continued to provide floor spacing and veteran leadership. She joined the team midseason and quickly settled into a rotation role. Her experience and shooting touch have remained valuable assets for Chicago.
Driving Style and Strengths
Banham’s game is built around perimeter shooting and steady ball handling. She is at her best when given space to shoot from beyond the arc and is known for her ability to catch and fire in rhythm. Her veteran awareness and three-point range make her a constant floor spacer for her team.
Notable Events and Milestones
Banham tied an NCAA record with 60 points against Northwestern on February 7, 2016. She later set a WNBA record with eight made three-pointers off the bench on July 14, 2024. Her 29-point, 10-assist game against Indiana in 2020 also stands out as one of the best performances of her professional career.
Rachel Banham Career Wins
While individual win totals across specific WNBA seasons are not fully verified, Rachel Banham has contributed to several winning team efforts, including playoff runs with the Minnesota Lynx and the Connecticut Sun. Her career has been defined by consistent production, record-setting shooting performances, and longevity across multiple franchises.
WNBA Highlights
Banham’s most celebrated professional moment came on July 14, 2024, when she set the WNBA single-game record for made three-pointers off the bench with eight. She also scored a career-high 29 points against Indiana in 2020 and posted multiple seasons as a reliable rotation guard.
Other Wins and Performances
At the college level, Banham led Minnesota to a conference championship in high school and earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2016. She finished her college career as the all-time leading scorer in Big Ten Conference history, cementing her place among the conference’s greatest players.
Rachel Banham Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rachel Banham comes from a Minnesota-based family that supported her early basketball development. Growing up in the Twin Cities area, she had access to a strong local basketball culture that helped shape her game from a young age. She attended Lakeville North High School, where she became one of the most decorated players in program history.
Personal Life
On January 2, 2022, Rachel Banham announced on social media that she and Andre Hollins were engaged at Williams Arena. Hollins is a former basketball player who also spent time in the Minnesota basketball community. The couple continues to share their lives publicly through social media.
2025 Season Performance
Rachel Banham entered the 2025 WNBA season as a veteran presence on the Chicago Sky. Her contract with Connecticut, signed in February 2024, was set to run through the 2025 season before she was traded to Chicago in July 2024, shifting her team outlook for the new year.
Throughout the 2025 regular season, Banham continued to provide perimeter shooting and steady minutes off the bench. Her experience and shooting touch remained key contributions for the Sky as the team navigated a competitive conference race.
Looking ahead, Banham was also announced as a draft pick for the Lunar Owls BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season on November 5, 2025. She remains a respected veteran across multiple professional basketball platforms heading into the next phase of her career.