Oluchi Okananwa
 Okananwa with Duke in 2025 | |
| Maryland Terrapins | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 27, 2004 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Oluchi Okananwa (born February 27, 2004) is an American college basketball player for Maryland. She previously played for Duke.
High school career
[edit]Okananwa began her career at Peabody High School. During her freshman year she averaged 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 steals per game, and was named Northeastern Conference Player of the Year. She then transferred to New Hampton Prep where she played for two seasons. She graduated from Worcester Academy in 2023.[1] During her senior year she served as team captain and was named New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) AA Player of the Year, and an All-NEPSAC First Team honoree.[2] In November 2022, she committed to play college basketball at Duke.[3]
College career
[edit]Duke
[edit]During the 2023–24 season, in her freshman year, she appeared in all 34 games, and averaged 9.7 points and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game while coming off the bench. She made her collegiate debut on November 6, 2023, in a game against Richmond, and recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and two assists in 25 minutes. She became the first freshman since 2014, and the seventh Blue Devil all-time, to post a double-double in their first career game.[4] On January 25, 2024, in a game against Florida State, she recorded a career-high 13 rebounds.[5] Following the season she was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Sixth Player of the Year, and named to the All-ACC Freshman Team. She became the first player in program history to receive the award.[6][7]
During the 2024–25 season, in her sophomore year, she appeared in all 37 games, and averaged 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. She led the team in steals (65) and offensive rebounds (90), ranked second in rebounds (196) and free throws (65) and third in scoring (370) and defensive rebounds (106).[3] During the 2025 ACC tournament, she averaged 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in three games to help Duke win their first ACC women's basketball tournament since 2013. During the championship game against NC State she recorded a double-double with a career-high tying 22 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.[1] She was subsequently named to the ACC All-Tournament first team, and tournament MVP, becoming the first ACC player this century to earn MVP honors while coming off the bench.[3][8] During the Sweet Sixteen of the 2025 NCAA tournament against North Carolina, she recorded 12 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, for her third double-double of the season, and helped Duke advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2013.[9][10]
Maryland
[edit]On April 18, 2025, Okananwa transferred to Maryland.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Tobin, Anne Marie (March 12, 2025). "Peabody's Oluchi Okananwa continuing stellar Duke career". itemlive.com. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Spooner, Garrett; Sheehy, Mackenzie (March 21, 2024). "From Worcester Academy to Duke, TJ Power and Oluchi Okananwa have been through it all together". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Oluchi Okananwa". goduke.com. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Richardson, Okananwa Pace Duke in 83-53 Win Over Richmond". goduke.com. November 6, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Duke women nearly double up No. 23 Florida State with 88-46 victory". Winnipeg Free Press. January 25, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Okananwa Tabbed ACC Sixth Player of the Year, Richardson Earns All-ACC Honors". goduke.com. March 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Smith III, Kennington (March 28, 2025). "Oluchi Okananwa brings flair to Duke … in more ways than one". The Athletic. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Duke Wears ACC Crown Following Stellar Second Half". goduke.com. March 9, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Elite Eight Bound; Duke Drops North Carolina, 47-38". goduke.com. March 28, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Geitheim, Eva (March 28, 2025). "Duke-UNC Sets New Women's NCAA Sweet 16 Record With Low-Scoring Affair". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Breiler, Chris (April 18, 2025). "Maryland lands highly coveted prospect from Duke out of transfer portal". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Heintzelman, Martin (April 18, 2025). "Duke women's basketball sophomore guard Oluchi Okananwa enters transfer portal, commits to Maryland". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved July 5, 2025.