Abi Olajuwon comes to the Valley of the Sun from the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, where she was part of a staff that helped lead the Sun to the WNBA semifinals in both of her seasons on the bench.
"Abi Olajuwon is a big-time addition to our staff. I really value her experience at both the professional level and as a player and coach in the Big 12," Miller said. "She has a great rapport with recruits and players and excels in player development. Her deep knowledge of the game and passion for developing student-athletes make her a fantastic addition to our program."
During her time in Connecticut, Olajuwon coached several of the league's top players, all of whom accumulated numerous accolades in 2023 and 2024. The most decorated player during Olajuwon's two seasons was Alyssa Thomas, who was named a WNBA All-Star, All-Defensive First Team and All-WNBA First Team both seasons. Thomas was also named to the AP All-WNBA First Team in 2024. In addition to Thomas, Olajuwon also coached WNBA All-Stars DeWanna Bonner (2023 and 2024) and Brionna Jones (2024). Olajuwon’s coaching was also instrumental in the development of DiJonai Carrington, who was named the WNBA's Most Improved Player and All-Defensive First Team in 2024.
Olajuwon arrived in Connecticut after a four-season stint at TCU, where she served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. In addition to her role as recruiting coordinator, Olajuwon also worked with TCU’s post players. Prior to her appointment at TCU, Olajuwon was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan for two seasons. Olajuwon also added the title of recruiting coordinator during her second year. In both of her seasons, the Eagles signed the MAC's top recruiting class.
During her career, Olajuwon has worked with two of the most prominent Sun Devils, who both contributed to the remarkable success of the program. While with the Connecticut Sun, Olajuwon shared the bench with fellow assistant coach and Sun Devil Hall of Famer Briann January. As an assistant coach for the Nigeria Women's National Team at the Paris Olympics in 2024, Olajuwon coached another of ASU's all-time standouts, Promise Amukamara. The team made history not only by capturing the country’s first win in the Olympics, but also advanced to the quarterfinal round to become the first African basketball team, male or female, to qualify for the quarterfinals of the basketball competition at the Olympics.
2025-26 Women's Basketball Roster
