DENVER – The University of Denver women's basketball program has hired former Arizona State and Connecticut Sun (WNBA) assistant Abi Olajuwon as its associate head coach, DU head coach Erik Johnson announced on Friday.
 
Olajuwon is fresh off helping Arizona State qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, setting a school record for the best start to a season in program history at 15-0, and tying the program record for consecutive wins. In conference play, Olajuwon and the Sun Devils swept Utah for the first time since 2019 and in-state rival Arizona for the first time since 2018.
 
"Abi Olajuwon coming to Denver serves as a notice to the women's basketball community that Denver women's basketball is back on the national stage," Johnson said. "She is simply one of the most talented and accomplished coaches in the nation, and her positive impact on everyone around our program will be felt immediately. Abi makes everyone around her better, and I am honored to have the opportunity to work with her."
 
Prior to her time in Tempe, Olajuwon coached two seasons in the WNBA as an assistant for the Connecticut Sun, where she had the opportunity to coach some of the league's top players, and help the Sun to the WNBA Semifinals in both seasons on the Connecticut bench. Olajuwon coached three WNBA All-Stars, including All-WNBA First Team selection Alyssa Thomas, and played a role in the development of WNBA Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington
 
"I am truly honored for the opportunity to work for Erik Johnson," Olajuwon said. "Not only does he care about building a championship culture and winning the right way, but he cares about the growth of everyone around him. His players, his coaches, and everyone who loves and respects women's basketball is important to him. I am proud to be a part of DU women's basketball."
 
In 2024, Olajuwon took her coaching journey to the international stage, when she served as an assistant on the Nigeria Women's National Team staff at the Paris Olympics in 2024. D'Tigress became the first African team, men's or women's, to advance out of the group stage and reach the Olympic Quarterfinals.
 
Olajuwon spent four seasons at TCU before making the jump to the WNBA. In Fort Worth, Olajuwon served as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator for the Horned Frogs, focusing much of her time on TCU's post play. In her first two seasons at TCU, the Horned Frogs went 46-18, making a trip to the WNIT Semifinals in 2019.
 
Following her professional playing career, Olajuwon's first two stops in college coaching took her to Cal State Fullerton (2014-16) and Eastern Michigan (2016-18). In both her seasons at Eastern Michigan, Olajuwon helped secure the MAC's top recruiting class.
 
The daughter of Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, Abi Olajuwon was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Sky and played professionally in both the WNBA and overseas. Olajuwon played her collegiate basketball for Oklahoma from 2006-10, made two trips to the NCAA Women's Final Four (2009 and 2010) and averaged 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in her senior year. In high school, Olajuwon was a three-time state champion, a McDonald's All-American and a WBCA and USA Today All-American.
 
Olajuwon graduated from Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and electronic media.
 
Johnson was hired on Monday, April 20, to begin his second stint as the head coach at the University of Denver. In his first go around, the Pioneers went 72-52 in four seasons, including 44-24 in Sun Belt Conference play and a 44-13 mark at home. Johnson and the Pioneers finished above .500 in all four seasons, the longest streak for the program in the Division I era. In his last job at Fairfield, Johnson was an assistant coach for a Fairfield team that went 102-27 in the last four seasons, won three MAAC Championships and made three NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
Earlier this week, Jasmine Gill was hired as an assistant coach on Johnson's staff. READ FULL RELEASE
 
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