MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – Minnesota Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve today announced the team has acquired guard Rachel Banham from the Connecticut Sun in a sign-and-trade deal in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are excited to welcome Rachel home to Minnesota,” said Reeve. “Her ability to shoot the ball is something we valued during this process and we look forward to having her in a Lynx uniform this season and beyond.”
Banham joins the Lynx after spending her first four WNBA seasons with Connecticut. In 107 games, the Lakeville North graduate holds career averages of 4.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 11.4 minutes per game. In her best season to date (2018), the 5-9 guard tallied 5.2 points and 1.5 assists in 12.9 minutes per game, hitting 37.0% (30-for-81) from three-point range while seeing action in 33 contests. She notched a career-high 20 points (including 5-of-5 from beyond the arc) vs. Indiana on June 24, 2018.
“I couldn’t be happier to be coming home and be a member of this historic franchise,” said Banham. “Growing up a Lynx fan, I’ve always admired the way Cheryl and her staff have made the Lynx into a model franchise in the WNBA. I can’t wait to see everyone at Target Center this summer.”
Banham’s pro career includes three trips to the WNBA Playoffs, totaling six games, including seeing action in the 2019 WNBA Finals. She holds postseason averages of 2.8 points in 5.8 minutes per outing. Banham has also played professionally in Australia and Spain.
Banham was selected by Connecticut in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 2016 WNBA Draft following an illustrious career at the University of Minnesota, where she ended as the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer (men or women) with 3,093 points. The 2016 Big Ten Player of the Year, Banham hit a school-record 354 three-pointers during her career and ranked 2nd in the nation in scoring as a senior (28.6 ppg), highlighted by an NCAA-record-tying 60-point performance at Northwestern on Feb. 7, 2016. She earned First Team All-American honors from the A.P. and USBWA and was a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award.
The Lynx will tip off their 23rd WNBA season on Friday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. in Chicago against the Sky before returning home to face the Indiana Fever on Sunday May 17 at 6:00 p.m. at Target Center. Full-season memberships, which include tickets to all 18 home games, are still available by visiting www.lynxbasketball.com/membership or by calling 612-673-8400.