Former Washington Huskies forward Chantel Osahor paying it forward

After a hit and miss in the WNBA, former Washington Huskies forward and fan favorite Chantel Osahor lands as graduate assistant to head coach Jennie Baranczyk

Washington Huskies former forward Chantel Osahor has had quite an adventure since graduating. But several attempts to make something happen at the professional women’s basketball level did not yield a permanent opportunity.  In the sport of limited chances, Osahor simply ran out of scratch tickets. But Drake University, a team with remarkable recent success, found itself in need of a young graduate coach candidate.

Until now.  In the end, Chantel Osahor found a new home and a great opportunity.  On August 30, 2017, Drake University Athletics department, via their GoDrakeBulldogs.com website, announce the hiring of Osahor as the Drake women’s basketball graduate manager. In the announcement, head coach Jennie Baranczyk offered her thoughts as to the role Chantel will serve with her team:

"“I’ve followed Chantel for a long time,” Baranczyk said. “I recruited her and then followed her at Washington, where she had an awesome career. Chantel has won at so many different levels and I know that she will bring that into her coaching career. We are thrilled to have Chantel start her coaching career here at Drake with our staff and team. With this addition, we know we’ve hit the jackpot again and we couldn’t be more excited to have her join our staff!”"

WNBA, eat your hearts out

As you recall the Chicago Sky drafted Osahor 21st overall in the 2017 WNBA draft. Surprisingly, the Sky immediately traded her to the Minnesota Lynx for then Lynx forward Keisha Hampton.

Osahor had a productive, but short, preseason with her team.  Ultimately, Osahor was named as one of the final roster cuts from the Lynx at the end of training camp. After the WNBA experience, Chantel Osahor disappeared off the radar.

With this news, Osahor is delighted to be back in basketball, particularly with a team with the recent success of Drake University:

“I’m very thankful to Jennie and her staff for this opportunity,” Osahor said. “I have known for a while I wanted to be a coach and I can’t think of a better place to start my young coaching career then Drake. I’m super excited and can’t wait to get started!”- per via their GoDrakeBulldogs.com website.

Next: Jerry Hobbie and Kreigh Warkentien confirmed additions to Washington Basketball staff

Great call Coach Barancyzk

Chantel Osahor has one of the most fundamentally sound three point shots and was hugely productive on the basketball court.  Adding that to a successful program truly is a testimony to the shrewd strategy of the Drake Women’s Basketball Program.

– over
Drake is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance, their eleventh. They finished the 2016-2017 season with a 28-5 overall record and at 18-0 in the Missouri Conference. The team lost to Kansas State University in round one by a score of 67-54.