The University of Denver women's basketball program hired former Arizona State and Connecticut Sun (WNBA) assistant Abi Olajuwon as its associate head coach on May 1.
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.
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
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.
