Returning Home

Former standout players bring unique value to their alma maters this season.

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Rachel Banham takes on Amaya Battle at a Gopher Practice. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Athletics.

Missing their college communities and wanting to give back, former standout players are returning to their college campuses and bringing incredible value back with them. They are not only familiar with the team’s system and understand the coach’s expectations, but they also know what it’s like to be in the current players’ shoes and represent someone the current players can strive to emulate. Here are the stories of a few players who returned to their former teams this season—all of whom had a major impact on their programs as players—and how their unique qualifications impact those programs in their new roles.

Rachel Banham (Minnesota, 2011-2016)

Although the Gophers’ coaching staff may have changed in the six years since Banham was a player, she already feels right at home and brings invaluable experience that could have a tremendous impact on any team. Among her many accolades, Banham is one of the top scorers in NCAA history, holds the record for threes made during her career at Minnesota, and has been playing in the WNBA (with plans to continue) since she graduated. Her relatively loosely-defined role of Director of Quality Control will hopefully provide her with plenty of flexibility to help Minnesota’s phenomenal freshman guard class – Mara Braun, Amaya Battle, and Katie Borowicz – achieve similar success.

Although she is slightly jealous of the fantastic new practice facility and NIL opportunities that weren’t available when she was a student-athlete, Banham loves being around the team. 

“I think coming into this role as a former player I am able to relate to the players super well,” she said. “I can be someone to lean on for advice and support as they navigate college life and ball. I'm also from Minnesota so I have lots of good suggestions for anything they may need in the area.”

Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon, 2016-2020)

The Oregon Ducks recently announced the addition of Ionescu to their staff in a part-time capacity as director of athletic culture while she continues to pursue her career in the WNBA. As a player at Oregon, Ionescu became the all-time NCAA leader with 26 career triple-doubles and is the only player in NCAA history with at least 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists.

Part of Ionescu’s new role will include assisting with the development of student-athletes and cultivating the five pillars of Oregon women's basketball – passion, integrity, unity, thankfulness and servanthood – but she will also serve as a phenomenal role model to several of Oregon’s guards, including Chance Gray, Te-Hina Paopao, Jenneah Isai, and others who are hoping to take their game to the next level.

When discussing Ionescu’s potential impact in their press release, Oregon head coach Kelly Graves stated, "Sabrina exemplifies what it means to be an Oregon Duck and she represents everything our program is about. Even in just a part-time capacity, she will have the ability to make an immediate impact on our student-athletes and our program as a whole. She truly is a basketball icon that will be able to connect and develop our players off the court."

Maggie Lyon (Northwestern, 2012-2016)

After her standout playing career, ranking seventh all-time in Northwestern career points, Lyon stayed in touch with Wildcats head coach Joe McKeown. And once she finished playing basketball overseas, Lyon knew she wanted to get into coaching. So when an assistant coaching position opened up at her alma mater, it was like a dream come true.

“I missed the feeling of being in the Northwestern community,” Lyon said. “There’s something special about how everyone at Northwestern supports one another. The support of faculty members and coaches from other sports following our team is really special. I obviously was still a part of the community as an alumna and a fan from afar but now being back at Northwestern after a few years removed, I get to feel that sense of pride for all things Northwestern in a new sense.” 

Northwestern coaches and players view her as a great role model and someone who brings a level of toughness, energy, and competitive spirit that many on the team will benefit from. Her experience playing in the Big Ten will help her relate to the current roster.

“I think the unique perspective I have is that I understand what it means to be a student-athlete at Northwestern,” Lyon said. “Being a student-athlete at a high academic school and on a team in a power 5 athletic conference is a challenge but understanding it is actually a privilege to be challenged in that way and knowing that you can find success in both is something that I think I bring as a unique perspective since I was in their shoes at one point.”

Aari McDonald (Arizona, 2018-2021)

While still pursuing her career in the WNBA, McDonald recently took on the added role of recruiting coordinator at her alma mater for the season. McDonald graduated from the University of Arizona as the program's career leader in points per game, placed third in career points, and still holds the single-season scoring record. After adding two seasons of WNBA experience, McDonald is poised to have a significant impact on the team beyond her recruiting duties.

Having left the program only two seasons ago, McDonald is familiar with Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes’ coaching style and expectations. She also exemplifies what it takes to reach the next level, and her work ethic and mentorship could really benefit players like Kailyn Gilbert, Paris Clark, Maya Nnaji, Cate Reese, and others hoping to extend their careers into the pros.

Ali Patberg (Indiana, 2018-2022)

It was only last season when Ali was in a Hoosier uniform as the team’s ninth all-time scorer and third in assists, so she’s very familiar with the Indiana coaching staff, their system, as well as several of the returning players. During her time at Indiana, Patberg led the Hoosiers to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances and three NCAA tournaments. Sharing her advice on what it takes to get there could be tremendously helpful, especially for some of the team’s key transfers this year, including Sara Scalia, Sydney Parrish and Alyssa Geary, who will try to help the team replicate or exceed last season’s success.

Patberg has expressed her desire to get into college coaching, and Hoosiers head coach Teri Moren seems more than supportive in helping her along that journey. Having her fill the role of recruiting coordinator may just be the next step in all the ways Patberg will continue to impact the Indiana team.

Ashley Williams (NC State, 2013-17)

Williams possesses the one-two punch of not only playing for Wes Moore and being familiar with his system, but also bringing several years of coaching experience and being recognized as one of the WBCA's Thirty Under 30 honorees for the 2020-21 season. As a player, Williams saw plenty of individual success, ranking fourth in program history in 3-point percentage and sixth in total threes made, but the team wasn’t quite the caliber it is now. She is already relishing the opportunity to work with an NC State squad that has Final Four aspirations.

“My years at NC State we were not nearly as successful as the recent teams here,” Williams said. “This team is coming off three straight ACC titles and four straight Sweet 16s, highlighted by an Elite Eight run last season. So we are now ‘the hunted' and must respond and show up every day embracing that. I am very fortunate to be back here with a great group that is ready to make another run at a Final Four!”

Williams says the best part of returning to NC State is being back on campus—especially in Reynolds Coliseum—and working with the staff who helped her so much as both a player and a coach. She’s also really enjoying interacting with the amazing Wolfpack fans again. 

When asked how her unique perspective might impact the team, Williams said, “Having somewhat recently played here for Coach Moore, I can relate and connect to our players having been in their shoes. I know the system well and what Coach Moore's expectations are, and I’ll do my best to reiterate that and connect with our group to get buy-in.”

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Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.