Olayinka Sanni played in 129 games, starting 111, during her outstanding four-year women’s basketball career from 2005-08.
Sanni, a native of Chicago Heights, Illinois, finished with 1,602 career points (12.4 ppg), 773 rebounds (6.0 rpg), 170 steals (1.3 spg), 77 assists (0.6 apg) and a career 55.7 field goal shooting percentage. Overall, Sanni ranks in WVU’s top 10 in multiple categories: second in field-goal percentage (55.7), third in offensive rebounds (364), sixth in field goals made (663), ninth in games started (111) and 10th in games played (129). She ranked 11th in total points (1,602).Â
During Sanni’s tenure at WVU, the Mountaineers knocked off nine ranked Associated Press top-25 opponents, including a 63-54 win over No. 4 Rutgers on Jan. 29, 2008. She also was part of the program’s first ranked team in 15 seasons. Additionally, she was a member of the 2005 WNIT Runner-Up squad and two NCAA Tournament teams in 2007 and 2008. Sanni is a member of the WVU Women’s Basketball 2001-14 All-Time Team.
In her final season, Sanni picked up All-America Honorable Mention status from the Associated Press and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Additionally, she was named to the WBCA All-Region 1 and All-Big East First teams. Sanni was named the Big East Player of the Week after scoring 22 points in a win over St. John’s on Jan. 19. She capped her career with numerous top-10 marks for a Mountaineer senior: first in offensive rebounds (115), second in field goal percentage (58.8%), fourth in field goals made (227), sixth in points (583), eighth in points per game (16.2) and ninth in rebounding average (7.1 rpg).
Sanni garnered her first conference accolades during her junior campaign. She finished with 449 points (14.0 ppg), 214 rebounds (6.7 rpg) and shot 55.3% from the field (178-of-322). She was tabbed an All-Big East First Team selection and was named the Big East Player of the Week after scoring 26 points in a win over DePaul on Jan. 13. Sanni finished 25 games in double-figure scoring and helped the Mountaineers to an NCAA Tournament berth. She scored 20 points in WVU’s first-round victory over Xavier.
As a sophomore, Sanni collected 384 points (12.4 ppg), 164 rebounds (5.3 rpg), 36 steals (1.2 spg) and shot 58.3% (162-of-278) from the field in 31 games. She made a school-record 13-of-13 from the field against Kennesaw State, finishing with 28 points in the win against the Owls. She scored double figures in 20 games, including nine consecutive from Nov. 19 to Jan. 1. Sanni helped the 12th-seeded Mountaineers reach the 2006 Big East Championship game with wins over Louisville, St. John’s and 6th-ranked Rutgers before falling to 7th-ranked Connecticut. Sanni’s 58.3 field goal percentage set the record for a Mountaineer sophomore.
Sanni played in 33 games as a freshman and finished with 236 points (7.2 ppg), 162 rebounds (4.9 rpg), 29 steals (0.9 spg) and 20 blocks (0.6 bpg). She scored a season-high 18 points in the win over Providence (Feb. 22) and helped the Mountaineers to the WNIT Championship game after WVU toppled Maine, St. John’s, Wake Forest and Kentucky to face Southwest Missouri State in the title game.
Sanni became the third Mountaineer drafted by a WNBA team as a second round, 18th overall pick by the Detroit Shock in 2008. In her rookie season, she helped the Shock to a WNBA Championship. After two seasons in Detroit, she spent the 2011 campaign with the Phoenix Mercury. She also played internationally for 10 years, including six years in France, and with the Nigerian National Team.
She is a software analyst for Bank of America and is the Founder of Picnics in the Chi.
