Gophers to retire Rachel Banham's jersey
File: Rachel Banham
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KMSP) - The University of Minnesota women’s basketball program announced it will retire Rachel Banham’s jersey. Banham will be honored at the Maryland game on Jan. 1, 2017.
Banham is the one of the best players to come from the Gophers’ women’s basketball program. After returning from an ACL injury the previous season, she broke most of Minnesota’s scoring records and was recognized nationally.
LEAVING HER MARK:
Banham broke Lindsay Whalen’s 12-year-old Minnesota career scoring record and she is the only Big Ten women’s player in the 3,000-point club.
She’s the only Gopher to get to the 40-point mark three times in her career – all during her senior season.
She also broke her own school record with 119 3-pointers in a season AND 354 in her career.
Her senior season included an NCAA record tying 60 points in a win at Northwestern.
Banham was named the Big Ten Player of the year by both coaches and media.
Banham is Minnesota’s career free throw percentage leader (.857), and set the season record of (.895) as a sophomore in 2012-13.
MORE: Banham scores 60 points, ties NCAA record
Banham’s career caught the attention of Kobe Bryant.
RELATED: Banham impresses Kobe (and everyone else) with buzzer beater
Head coach, Marlene Stollings even invited Kobe to come to the jersey ceremony on Twitter #BlackMambaRetiresMaroonMamba, he hasn’t responded yet.