Rachel Banham Siblings: A Closer Look at the Banham Siblings

Rachel Banham is an American professional basketball player currently playing as a guard for the Chicago Sky in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

She has carved out an impressive career in basketball, from her standout college days at the University of Minnesota to her ongoing journey in the WNBA.

Drafted fourth overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2016 WNBA Draft, Banham has become known for her sharpshooting, particularly from beyond the three-point line, and her resilience in overcoming injuries.

Beyond her athletic prowess, she comes from a tight-knit, athletic family, with siblings who have also made their mark in sports.

Siblings

Rachel is one of four children born to Don and Mel Banham, both of whom served as Minneapolis police officers, instilling discipline and determination in their kids.

The Banham siblings, Cole, Rachel, Blake, and Paige, grew up in a household where athletics were a way of life, supported by parents who balanced demanding careers with attending their children’s games and practices.

Cole, the eldest sibling, born around 1992, followed in the family’s athletic footsteps by playing football as a running back for the University of Minnesota Gophers.

Like Rachel, he attended Lakeville North High School, where he began his football career.

Blake, the younger brother, born around 1996, also pursued football, playing as a junior running back at Cretin-Derham Hall High School.

Paige, the youngest of the siblings, born around 1999, took a different path in the sports world, excelling as a gymnast at Lakeville North High School.

Career

Banham first gained prominence at Lakeville North High School, where she started on the varsity team as an eighth-grader.

By her senior year (2010–2011), she averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and four assists per game, leading her team to a 29–3 record and a conference championship.

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Her high school success earned her accolades like Minnesota Miss Basketball and the 2011 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year.

At the University of Minnesota, Banham became a legend for the Golden Gophers.

Starting all 36 games as a freshman in 2011–2012, she averaged 16.1 points per game and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Her sophomore year saw her average 20.7 points, ranking her as the second-leading sophomore scorer in NCAA Division I.

As a junior, she upped her game to 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game.

Her senior year was cut short after 10 games due to an ACL injury in 2014–2015, but she returned in 2015–2016 under a medical hardship waiver.

That season, she averaged 28.6 points per game, broke the Gophers’ all-time scoring record with 3,093 points, and tied an NCAA record with a 60-point game against Northwestern.

In the WNBA, Banham was drafted by the Connecticut Sun in 2016.

Her rookie season was hampered by an MCL injury requiring microfracture surgery, but she bounced back, achieving a career-high 5.2 points per game in 2018.

Traded to the Minnesota Lynx in 2020, she had a breakout moment with a 29-point, 10-assist game against the Indiana Fever.

After stints with the Lynx and a return to the Sun in 2024, she was traded to the Chicago Sky mid-season in 2024, where she continues to contribute, averaging 5.7 points per game in her latest season.

Accolades

In college, she earned Big Ten Player of the Year in 2016, First-Team All-American honors from AP, espnW, and USBWA in 2016, Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012, and All-Big Ten First Team selections in 2013, 2014, and 2016.

She tied an NCAA single-game record with 60 points in 2016, finished as the sixth all-time NCAA Division I women’s scoring leader with 3,093 points at graduation, and was the Big Ten Conference all-time scoring leader at the time of her college career’s end, as well as the Minnesota Golden Gophers all-time leading scorer.

In high school, she was named Minnesota Miss Basketball in 2011, Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year in 2011, and a Parade All-American in 2011.

In the WNBA, she set a record for the most three-pointers off the bench with 8 on July 14, 2024, and was the fourth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft.