Gophers Banham Named Big Ten Female Athlete Of The Year

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- University of Minnesota graduate Rachel Banham, one of the best players in the history of Gopher women's basketball, was named the Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.

She's the third Gopher female athlete to win the award. Amanda Kessell won it in 2013 and Gretchen Hegener won it in swimming and diving in 1997.

Banham, a year removed from a torn knee ligament, finished her basketball career with 3,093 points, good for sixth all-time on the NCAA list. She graduates as the Gophers all-time leading scorer and set Big Ten records by averaging 30.6 points per game and making 75 three-point shots.

Banham was selected an AP First Team All-American and was named the Big Ten Player of the Year by both the coaches and media.

She stunned the basketball world and even got the attention of Kobe Bryan after scoring 60 points in a double overtime win at Northwestern in February. It set a Big Ten single-game scoring record and tied an NCAA record.