University of Minnesota Athletics
2014-15 Women's Basketball Roster
Rachel Banham
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 5-9
- High School:
- Lakeville North HS
- Hometown:
- Lakeville, Minn.
Banham's Career Stats 
| Photo Gallery
Records Held
- Big Ten Career Scoring: 3,093 points (sixth all-time in NCAA)
- Minnesota Season Points/Scoring Average: 914 points/28.6 points per game
- NCAA Single-Game Scoring: 60 (tied NCAA record)
- Minnesota Career Scoring Average: 21.5 points per game
- Big Ten Conference-Only Season Scoring: 549 points (30.5 per game)
- Big Ten Conference-Only Season 3-Pointers: 75
- Minnesota Career 3-Pointers: 354
- Minnesota Season 3-Pointers: 119
- Minnesota Single-Game 3-Pointers: 10
- Minnesota Career Free Throws: 577
- Minnesota Career Free Throw Percentage: .857
- Minnesota Season Free Throw Percentage: .895 (2012-13)
- Minnesota Games Scoring in Double Figures: 134
- Minnesota Career Field Goals: 1,081
- Minnesota Season Field Goals: 315
- WNIT Single-Game Scoring: 48
- Williams Arena Single-Game Scoring: 48 (best of any men's or women's college player)
Career Honors and Awards
2016
- Big Ten Player of the Year (coaches and media)
- First Team All-Big Ten (unanimous)
- AP All-America First Team
- espnW All-America First Team
- John R. Wooden Award finalist
- Naismith Trophy semifinalist
- Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List
- Dawn Staley Award Watch List
- WBCA All-Region; All-America Honorable Mention
- Gophers' Team MVP
- Fast Break Club Award
2015
- Naismith Trophy Early Season Top 50
- John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30
- "Wade Watch" list
- Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year (coaches and media)
- espnW Preseason All-America Second Team
- AP Preseason All-America Honorable Mention
- Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll (Dec. 8)
- Minnesota Women's Basketball Gopher Spirit Award
2014
- WBCA All-America Honorable Mention
- Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention
- WBCA All-Region 6
- Unanimous First Team All-Big Ten (C/M)
- John R. Wooden Award Women's Final Ballot
- Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30
- Wade Award Watch List
- Dawn Staley Award Watch List
- Preseason All-Big Ten First Team (C/M)
- Big Ten POW Honor Roll (12/2, 1/13)
- Subway Classic MVP
- Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort Rainbow Wahine Showdown MVP
- Minnesota Female Athlete of the Year
- Minnesota Women's Basketball MVP
- Minnesota Women's Basketball Coaches Award
- Recorded program single-season scoring record (750 points)
2013
- WBCA All-America Honorable Mention
- Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention
- WBCA All-Region 6
- First Team All-Big Ten (C)
- Second Team All-Big Ten (M)
- Preseason All-Big Ten (C)
- Big Ten Player of the Week (12/10)
- Best Buy Classic MVP
- Subway Classic MVP
- Minnesota Women's Basketball MVP
2012
- Full Court Freshman All-America First Team
- Big Ten Freshman of the Year (C/M)
- Second Team All-Big Ten (C/M)
- Big Ten All-Freshman Team (C/M)
- Big Ten Player of the Week (1/9)
- Big Ten Freshman of the Week (12/12, 12/26, 1/9, 1/17, 1/31)
- WBI All-Tournament Team
- Best Buy Classic All-Tournament Team
- Minnesota Women's Basketball Co-MVP
2015-16 - Senior Season:
Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year - named Big Ten Player of the Year - unanimous All-Big Ten First Team player - John R. Wooden Award finalist - Naismith Trophy semifinalist - started every game for the Gophers - averaged a Minnesota-record and Big Ten-best 28.6 points, second in the nation - added a team-high 5.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and team-high 2.0 steals per game - John R. Wooden Award finalist - Naismith Trophy semifinalist - earned spot on Ann Meyers Drysdale Award midseason watch list - Dawn Staley Award finalist - earned seven Big Ten weekly awards - set Big Ten's career scoring record (3,093) and ended her career sixth on the all-time list - one of 11 players in NCAA women's basketball history to score 3000 points - broke Minnesota and Big Ten career scoring record - set new Minnesota and Big Ten single-game scoring record and tied NCAA single game scoring record with 60 points against Northwestern (2/7) - had first 40-point game in Gopher history since Lindsay Whalen in 2002 - became fourth Minnesota player to score 40 points in a game and had three of the eight 40-point games in program history - set new Minnesota single-season scoring record (914) - holds Gopher records for most 3-pointers in a career (354), season (119) and single game (10 at Illinois on 1/7) - fifth in program history in steals (238) - made 1,000th career field goal and tallied 500th assist throughout the course of the season - led Big Ten in scoring and 3-pointers made in conference games (75) - set new WNIT and Williams Arena single-game scoring records with 48 points in a first round victory over UW-Milwaukee (3/16) - had 52 points against Michigan State (2/21) - scored double-figure points in every game, including 26 games with over 20 points - hit buzzer-beating 3-pointer to defeat Iowa (2/15) - recorded back-to-back double-doubles against Towson (12/6) and Memphis (12/12) - had career high six steals against Towson (12/6) - broke Lindsay Whalen's Minnesota scoring record (2,285) during the game against Auburn (11/28).
2014-15 Season:
Received a medical hardship waiver to return for 2015-16 - played in and started 10 games for the Gopher before suffering a season-ending ACL injury - named an AP Preseason All-America Honorable Mention selection - earned a spot on espnW's Preseason All-America Second Team - listed at No. 5 on espnW's preseason list of the nation's top players - named 2014-15 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year - named to the Naismith Trophy Early Season Top 50 - earned a spot on the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 - member of the "Wade Watch" list - became Minnesota's career leader in three-point field goals made (235) in the second half vs. Butler (12/7) - scored a season-high 35 points and connected on five 3-pointers against the Bulldogs, including the game-tying 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime - connected on a career-high eight 3-pointers and scored 32 total points in the win over Southern (11/25) - her eight 3-pointers rank second on Minnesota's single-game record chart - dished out a career-high 13 assists vs. Cleveland State (11/19) for her first points/assists double-double (27 points/13 assists) - notched her 2,000th career point in Gophers season opener (11/14).
2013-14 - Junior Season:
Played in and started 34 games for the Gophers - averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game - earned All-America Honorable Mention accolades from the Associated Press - named WBCA All-America Honorable Mention - also earned a spot on the WBCA All-District 6 team - was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First Team by both the league's head coaches and voting media - named to the John R. Wooden Award Women's Final Ballot - made the Naismith Trophy Midseason Top 30 - was on the Wade Award Watch List - selected to the Dawn Staley Award Watch List - named to the Big Ten Player of the Week Honor Roll twice during the season (12/2, 1/13) - Subway Classic MVP - Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort Rainbow Wahine Showdown MVP - named the Female Athlete of the Year at the 2014 Golden Goldys - led the Big Ten in scoring in all games (22.1) and in league only games (23.3) - first Gopher since Carol Ann Shudlick in 1993 to lead the league in scoring - her scoring average in Big Ten contests was the highest since Penn State's Kelly Mazzante averaged 25.1 points per game in 2002 - scored 20 or more points in 22 games to pace the Big Ten - scored 30 or more points on six occasions to lead the league - concluded the season ranked fourth on Minnesota's career scoring register with 1,993 points - broke the Minnesota single-season scoring record with 750 points - also broke the program's single-season record for most 3-point field goals made with 93 - both her points and 3-point field goals rank in the Big Ten's single-season top 10 - in the final 2014 NCAA National Rankings, Banham ranked 12th in final points (750), 15th in points per game (22.1), 18th in 3-point field goal percentage (.421), 19th in free throw percentage (.874) and 36th in 3-point field goals per game (2.74)- she finished her junior season ranking eighth in scoring average (19.5) and free throw percentage (.867), 13th in 3-point field goal percentage (.394), 23rd in points (1,993), 24th in field goal attempts (1,658), 28th in field goals made (703) and 44th in free throws made (384) among NCAA Division I active career leaders - finished the season ranked second all-time in program history with 95 double-figure scoring games - has scored in double figures in 95 of her 102 career games played - scored her 1,500th career point in the second half vs. Auburn (12/22) - notched a career-high .833 (10-for-12) field goal percentage vs. Colorado State (11/30) - made a career-best six 3-pointers in three different games (3/27, 1/16, 12/1) - connected on a career-high 14 of her 15 free throw attempts vs. Miami (12/5) - dished out a career-best eight assists at Nebraska (1/16) - scored 36 points vs. Chattanooga (11/29) in the first game of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort Rainbow Wahine Showdown - had 32 points at Iowa (1/8) and 33 points at Nebraska (1/16) - added 32 points at Northwestern (2/15) and 31 points at Michigan State (2/24) - broke the single-season scoring record with 31 points vs. Green Bay in the opening round of the WNIT (3/19) - named Preseason All-Big Ten by league's head coaches.
2012-13 - Sophomore Season:
Played in and started all 32 games for the Gophers - averaged 20.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game - named Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention - named WBCA All-America Honorable Mention - also earned a spot on the WBCA All-District 6 team - garnered First Team All-Big Ten accolades from the league's head coaches and second team honors from voting media - earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors (12/10) - Best Buy Classic MVP - Subway Classic MVP - finished the season ranked 10th nationally in free throw percentage (.895) and 14th in points per game (20.7) - finished the season as the second-leading sophomore scorer in NCAA Division I - ranked 2nd in the Big Ten in scoring, 4th in free throw percentage and assist turnover ratio (1.4), 8th in assists (3.9), 9th in steals (1.9) and 10th in minutes played (35.3)- became the 21st Gopher in program history to notch 1,000 career-points after scoring 37 vs. Illinois (1/28) - was the third-fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 points, hitting the milestone in 57 games (Lindsay Whalen, 51 games | Laura Coenen, 54 games) - surpassed Lindsay Whalen for the program record for points scored through sophomore year with her 1,093rd career point vs. Iowa (2/7) - finished the year with 1,243 career points, which ranks 14th all-time in program history - claimed the Big Ten regular-season scoring title with a 21.0 points-per-game average - led the Gophers in scoring in 25 games, steals in 19 games, assists in 17 games and rebounds in 7 games - scored in double-figures in 31 of her 32 games played in 2012-13 and 64 of her 68 career games played - scored 20 or more points in 16 games and 30 or more points in 5 games as a sophomore - dished out her 200th career assist at Ohio State (2/21) - pulled down her 300th career rebound in the win vs. #7/7 Penn State (2/28) - scored her 900th career point at Michigan State (1/3), her 800th career point vs. UMKC (12/7) and her 700th career point vs. Missouri (11/24) - first Gopher to score 30 or more points in a game since Jan. 24, 2008 (Leslie Knight - 33 points) - named Preseason All-Big Ten by league's head coaches.
2011-12 - Freshman Season:
Played in and started all 36 games for the Gophers - named to the Full Court Freshman All-American First Team - named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year - garnered a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team - also earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors - named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 9 - named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times (12/12, 12/26, 1/9, 1/17, 1/31) - earned a spot on the WBI All-Tournament Team - earned a spot on the Best Buy Classic All-Tournament Team - finished the season with team-highs in points (580), points per game (16.1), field goals (216), 3-point field goals (54), 3-point percentage (.425), defensive rebounds (148) and minutes played (1,213) - her 580 points were the third-highest total among the nation's freshmen, and were the most points scored of any freshman in the six power conferences - set program freshman records in points, field goals, field goal attempts and 3-point percentage - ranked 97th overall nationally in points per game (16.1) and 74th in free throw percentage (.817) - her 580 points also rank seventh on Minnesota's single-season register, while she also ranks eighth in field goals, third in field goal attempts (515), fifth in 3-point field goal percentage, tied for fifth in free throw percentage and tied for seventh in defensive rebounds on the Gophers' single-season record list - scored in double-figures in 33 games, including 29-straight from Nov. 20-March 18 - had nine games where she scored 20 or more points - shot .500 or better from the field in eight games - paced the Gophers in scoring in 22 games, assists in 15 games, steals in 11 games and rebounding in nine games.
High School:
A 2011 graduate of Lakeville North High School - ranked among ESPNU's Terrific 25 on ESPN.com - ranked in the top-five as a point guard - 2011 Parade All-American - 2010-11 Minnesota Miss Basketball - 2011 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year - Associated Press 2011 Player of the Year - St. Paul Pioneer Press Metro Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011 - Minneapolis Star-Tribune 2011 Player of the Year - Minneapolis Star-Tribune 2010 Co-Player of the Year - Minnesota Basketball News 2010 Player of the Year - Breakdown Magazine 2010 Player of the Year - Associated Press all-state selection in 2010 and 2011 - was an honorable mention pick in 2009 - Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association all-state honoree in both 2010 and 2011 - All-Lake Conference selection in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 - averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in her senior campaign - helped Lakeville North to a 29-3 record and a conference championship in 2011 - led her squad to a perfect 32-0 record and the Class AAAA State Championship in 2010 - scored a game-high 25 points in the state championship win against White Bear Lake Area - averaged 14.8 points per game during her junior season, including 17.3 points over the final three state tournament contests - Panthers finished season ranked No. 15 nationally by MaxPreps - led team to a 21-8 record as a sophomore - scored 396 points to average 13.7 ppg - played for head coach Andy Berkvam at Lakeville North, and Gerard Coury with North Tartan Nike Elite AAU - also participated as a member of the track team, and competed at the MSHSL state meet, earning all-state honors in 2009 and 2010.
Personal:
Born July 15, 1993 - daughter of Don and Mel Banham - majoring in sociology - her grandfather was a member of the UMPD for more than 30 years - has an older brother, Cole, who was a running back on the Gopher football team, as well as a younger brother, Blake, and a younger sister, Paige.
