Connecticut Sun guard Rachel Banham may not be a household name to many who watch the WNBA or basketball as a whole, but her near-automatic shooting against the Phoenix Mercury – while on national television – put the audience on notice.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!With the Sun and Mercury shown on the broadcasting station ABC, Banham came off the bench and lit up the basket as she scorched with shooting 8-for-11 (72.7%) from three. She finished with 24 points without a single attempt from either a mid-range or free throw attempt.
In doing so, she made WNBA history by recording eight threes off of the bench, according to stat tracking website Across The Timeline. She also is just the third player ever to shoot 8-for-11 from three in a game, joining Shekinna Stricklen and Mercury legend Diana Taurasi.
And now Banham has set a new WNBA record for threes off the bench: 8 of 11 today. Ties the Sun single-game record for a starter or reserve. https://t.co/DOxtxJLKOk
— Across the Timeline (@WBBTimeline) July 14, 2024
To go even more niche: Banham's 24 points today is the most by a WNBA player without a two-point or free throw attempt.
The previous record was 18 (Jamie Carey – 2008, Marine Johannès – 2022).https://t.co/BAl4SGCK5W https://t.co/qfSYd6xq2D
— Across the Timeline (@WBBTimeline) July 14, 2024
Coming into today, the Minnesota native has only reached double-digit points this season twice, 10 in the Sun’s first game of the season vs. the Indiana Fever and 16 against the Dallas Wings on June 15. She also was getting 12.4 minutes a game until she picked her spots and got hot from deep. ending up playing 23 minutes against Phoenix.
As a bench option, Banham is averaging 3.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game in 19 games. This is her first season back in Connecticut after she played there from 2016-19 before she was traded ahead of the 2020 WNBA season to the Minnesota Lynx.
She showed her willingness to shoot from anywhere, was aggressive and did whatever her team needed her to do so that the Sun would win. Connecticut limited the Mercury to nine points in the third quarter and thanks to players like Banham, the lead kept growing for the Sun before the buzzer sounded for their 18th victory of the season in a 96-69 win.
Sun shines too bright for Mercury on Sunday, stifling second-half defense secures Connecticut win
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers ASU Athletics, the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
