University of Minnesota Athletics
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Gophers in the WNBA: Midseason Update
7/20/2021 1:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS – The 2021 WNBA season is currently on an extended break for the Olympics, making this a perfect time to check in on how former Gophers Rachel Banham and Amanda Zahui B. have been performing this season.
Now in her second season with the Lynx, Banham has appeared in 17 games, averaging 4.3 points on 41.3 percent shooting, a career-best 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists while playing 11.0 minutes per game.
Due to injuries and salary cap complications, Banham was actually released by the Lynx on June 28, though she re-signed with the team on July 5, missing two games in the process.
Long known for her shooting prowess, Banham has showcased her 3-point skills this season. She's 20-42 on the year, good for a 47.6 percent mark. Not only is that on pace to be a career-best number, but it's currently tops on the Lynx and the best in the WNBA among all players with at least 40 attempts.
After starting the year 1-11 from long range in her first six games, she has gone 19-31 (61.3 percent) in her last 11 contests, including a six-game stretch from June 6-19 where she made 16 of 22 3-point attempts, good for a 72.7 percentage in that span.
Overall, Banham has hit double-digit scoring twice, first with a season-high 13 points against Atlanta on June 6. She was a perfect 5-5 from the floor, including 3-3 from 3-point range, in the contest. Two games later, she posted 12 points by making all four 3-point attempts, and added a season-high five rebounds, in the Lynx's win over Los Angeles.
After starting the season 0-4, Minnesota is currently 12-7 and in fourth place in the WNBA, 3.0 games back of first-place Seattle.
Zahui B. is in her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks after spending the previous five seasons with the New York Liberty. She missed the first two games of the season with a back injury before making her debut on May 28 and has played in 17 games with 14 starts this year. She's averaging career highs in points (11.4), blocks (1.5), minutes (26.1) and free-throw percentage (85.7) to go along with 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per contest.
She's reached double digits in 10 of her 17 games this season, including a season-high 22 points against Las Vegas on June 30. She's also got a pair of double-doubles with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Chicago on June 5, reaching 1000 career points in the process, and 14 points and a season-best 12 boards versus Las Vegas on July 2.
Off the court, Zahui B. earned the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award for May.
Los Angeles is 6-13 at the break, tied for 10th place in the league standings.
July 11 marked the last WNBA games played before the Olympic Break. Action resume on August 15, and the regular season wraps up on Sept. 19.
Now in her second season with the Lynx, Banham has appeared in 17 games, averaging 4.3 points on 41.3 percent shooting, a career-best 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists while playing 11.0 minutes per game.
Due to injuries and salary cap complications, Banham was actually released by the Lynx on June 28, though she re-signed with the team on July 5, missing two games in the process.
Long known for her shooting prowess, Banham has showcased her 3-point skills this season. She's 20-42 on the year, good for a 47.6 percent mark. Not only is that on pace to be a career-best number, but it's currently tops on the Lynx and the best in the WNBA among all players with at least 40 attempts.
The Legend of Lakeville.
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 7, 2021
5-5 FG
3-3 3P
a ✨𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽✨ night for @rachelbanham_1 pic.twitter.com/QYGizK3cH4
After starting the year 1-11 from long range in her first six games, she has gone 19-31 (61.3 percent) in her last 11 contests, including a six-game stretch from June 6-19 where she made 16 of 22 3-point attempts, good for a 72.7 percentage in that span.
Overall, Banham has hit double-digit scoring twice, first with a season-high 13 points against Atlanta on June 6. She was a perfect 5-5 from the floor, including 3-3 from 3-point range, in the contest. Two games later, she posted 12 points by making all four 3-point attempts, and added a season-high five rebounds, in the Lynx's win over Los Angeles.
After starting the season 0-4, Minnesota is currently 12-7 and in fourth place in the WNBA, 3.0 games back of first-place Seattle.
GOLDEN GOPHER
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 13, 2021
GETS
GOLDEN BUCKETS 〽️ pic.twitter.com/st5nSDktLZ
Zahui B. is in her first season with the Los Angeles Sparks after spending the previous five seasons with the New York Liberty. She missed the first two games of the season with a back injury before making her debut on May 28 and has played in 17 games with 14 starts this year. She's averaging career highs in points (11.4), blocks (1.5), minutes (26.1) and free-throw percentage (85.7) to go along with 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per contest.
She's reached double digits in 10 of her 17 games this season, including a season-high 22 points against Las Vegas on June 30. She's also got a pair of double-doubles with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Chicago on June 5, reaching 1000 career points in the process, and 14 points and a season-best 12 boards versus Las Vegas on July 2.
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) July 1, 2021
Off the court, Zahui B. earned the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award for May.
Los Angeles is 6-13 at the break, tied for 10th place in the league standings.
Buckets. Straight buckets. @AmandaZahuiB | #RootedInLA pic.twitter.com/m9i398psMC
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) July 3, 2021
July 11 marked the last WNBA games played before the Olympic Break. Action resume on August 15, and the regular season wraps up on Sept. 19.
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