The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Banham healthy, ready to contribute for Sun
UNCASVILLE >> A rookie season that started with so much promise ended much too early for Rachel Banham.
The sweet-shooting star out of the University of Minnesota played in 15 games in her injury-shortened debut season. The final tally read 164 minutes, 20 made field goals, 55 points, 14 assists, two doubledigit scoring games and most painful of all to the ultra-competitive Banham, just a 4-11 record in the games she stepped onto the court.
Banham’s rehabilitation for her surgically-repaired knee ended some time ago, and when the Connecticut Sun kick off training camp on Monday she is planning to be out there to take the first steps towards what she hopes is a more successful sophomore season in more ways than one.
“I really just want to be a factor for my team,” Banham said. “It was my first season and I was really excited, I wanted to put in a lot more than I could with my knee so it was really tough for me, but I am glad we kind of got that figured out.”
Getting that figured out meant bringing an end to Banham’s rookie season after a July 7 win over eventual WNBA finalist Minnesota. Micro-fracture surgery would follow the next day and then months of grueling work to get back onto the court. It’s a drill Banham knows well. In 2013, patellar tendonitis resulted in
her undergoing surgery on both knees. Less than 17 months later Banham tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.
Banham has put those painful memories behind her and is ready to move forward.
“I am past that, it (her rookie season) was cut short but I still was able to be there and learn a lot,” Banham said. “I don’t want to go through rookie season again so I will have the mindset of being more of a veteran, but the more I get on the court, the more it will get a lot easier for and be a better leader.”
Like it or not, Banham and the rest of last year’s rookie class will be front and center at everything that transpires with the 2017 Connecticut Sun team.
Former WNBA Rookie of the Year Chiney Ogwumike suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon while playing in China. She had surgery in December and on Saturday it was announced that she was being suspended for the entire 2017 season. Unlike two seasons ago when the Sun kept an injured Ogwumike on the roster, the decision was made to suspend her so all 12 roster spots can be utilized.
Team leader Jasmine Thomas is the team’s most experienced player as she heads into her seventh WNBA season. Still, she is only going into her third season with the Sun. The team will also have veterans Alyssa Thomas, Alex Bentley, Shekinna Stricklen and Kelly Faris back. Former Connecticut Sun players Kayla Pedersen and Allison Hightower also return. Veterans Danielle Adams and Lynetta Kizer will add some veteran presence. Former Maryland All-American Brionna Jones and Ohio State’s Shayla Cooper are rookies who will fight for a role in a crowded front court. Still, plenty of eyes will be on Banham and fellow second-year pros Morgan Tuck, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Williams.
Tuck, the former UConn star, also had her rookie season cut short due to injury, but Jones and Williams played starring roles as the Sun ended the 2016 season by winning eight of the final 12 games. They combined to average 19.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 blocked shots per game during that span while playing less than 20 minutes a contest.
“Chiney is a huge piece to our puzzle that we need, but we have a lot of good talent and young talent too,” Banham said. “Courtney came in (after being traded for Kelsey Bone) and was playing incredible, I can’t wait for Morgan to be back, JJ is great and her offseason has been great so I am looking forward to see how she does. There are veteran pieces, Jaz (Thomas) played great at the end of the year, she played better than anybody thought she was going to last year so that was exciting. We could be really good, we have to continue to grow, we have another year under our belts.”
Sun coach and general manager Curt Miller said he plans to play it safe with Banham and Tuck in the early going even though both are expected to be good to go for the start of training camp. He knows that his team will be relying on the two of them so he isn’t going to push them too hard, too fast.
Sun fans won’t have to wait long to see the 2017 team as Mohegan Sun Arena is hosting four preseason games in a two-day span. The Sun will play Chicago at 7 p.m. on May 2 and Los Angeles at 7 p.m. on May 3. New York and Los Angeles will square off at 5 p.m. on May 2 with Chicago playing New York at 5 p.m. on May. 3.