Two of the most athletic players on this year’s Arizona women’s basketball team are heading for the portal, according to Talia Goodman at On3. First, it was guard Tanyuel Welch. Now, it’s forward Blessing ‘Adde’ Adebanjo based on information Goodman received from Adebanjo’s representation.
Adebanjo joined the team late with her addition announced after the beginning of classes. While her numbers weren’t huge, she showed a great deal of potential in her first year in NCAA basketball.
In her 10.4 minutes per game, she contributed 3.7 points on 50 percent shooting, 2.5 rebounds, 0.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks. The blocks put her in the 92nd percentile. On a per-40 basis, that worked out to 14.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 3.6 blocks.
The native of Nigeria spent several years playing in Japan. After finishing high school at Japan Aviation Academy, she started playing college ball at Yamanashi Gakuin University.
She was added to the roster shortly after the sudden departure of fellow Nigerian forward Ogheneruona ‘Miracle’ Akpotayobo.
When she got to the U.S., it took Adebanjo some time to see the floor, but she played double-digit minutes in the last eight games of the season and made four starts. During those final eight games, she averaged 7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 2.0 bpg in 18.3 mpg.
Her best game came in the win against Kansas State, which was the first of three straight starts in February. She went 5 for 8 from the floor and 7 for 8 from the line to score 17 points in 33 minutes on the court. She also logged 6 blocks in that game.
The transfer portal does not officially open until Apr. 6, 2026 unless a player is a grad student or her head coach has left. Players are already announcing their intentions, though.
