For Penn women’s basketball junior guard Ese Ogbevire and freshman guard Ruke Ogbevire, basketball has always been a family affair. The sisters started playing together, separated by only a few years, and now find themselves reunited on the same court once again — this time wearing red and blue.
Their basketball journey started in elementary school with their father, who was set on his kids learning the game. For the duo, what began as a reluctant hobby soon turned into a shared passion for the game.
“My dad, he always pushes us and supports us in every way that he could,” Ese said. “Always training us in the morning and the afternoon, he was sure to make time for us.”
“Even if we didn’t want to, he would always motivate and force us to go out there,” Ruke added.
This persistence carried the sisters from dribbling in their Texas garage all the way to the Ivy League. After years of long practices and family sacrifices, both siblings now don the Red and Blue: Ese as a junior guard returning from a season where she was sidelined by an ACL injury, and Ruke as a freshman beginning her college career.
For Ruke, joining her older sister helped make the distance from home feel smaller.
“My sister going here definitely influenced my decision,” she said. “Just knowing that I’d be so far away from home, but I’d have family near me, was definitely a big plus.”
As players, the two share strikingly similar styles: Both are quick, crafty, and relentless drivers to the basket. Ruke’s playstyle largely resembles that of her sister’s, with Ese taking up the role as her mentor after two years of experience in the program. That mentorship pushes the siblings both on and off the court, and it shows in their performances.
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“They can score within and around side because they’re crafty,” coach Mike McLaughlin said. “They both have quick twitch; they get to spots really fast. They’re easily coachable [and] driven, and you can see the connection between them, not just in personality but in how they play.”
“We just played a scrimmage, and Ruke got a chance to play and had some success,” McLaughlin added. “I intentionally looked down at Ese, who was on the bench, and you could just see the excitement for her younger sister.”
The sisters have pushed each other every step of the way, and they now stand at the gateway of a new shared goal: an Ivy title. As the Quakers chase an Ivy League championship, Ese’s leadership and determination have set the tone for the duo and the team.
“Obviously we have a great history winning the Ivy League, and you want to come in and try to win another one,” she said. “That’s the goal before my senior year. … That year off was a wake-up call, so I’m just hungry to go get it now.”
After overcoming two ACL injuries, Ese’s journey has been marked by perseverance. But this season, she carries a renewed sense of purpose and is eager to finally take the court alongside her sister in the same uniform.
“I envision us both really killing it like we were in high school,” Ese said. “Once she gets accustomed to the college game and I get back into it post-injury, I think the chemistry is really going to be there and help the program.”
For the Ogbevires, this season represents more than a reunion — it’s the next chapter in a shared journey filled with family, growth, and determination. Later in the season, Penn will play games in the sisters’ home state of Texas, giving them a chance to return home together and to compete on a new stage.
“Both of them being here, playing Division I basketball at such a high level, and earning this education, it’s pretty remarkable,” McLaughlin said. “It’s an unbelievable accomplishment for that family.”
Through every setback and every success, the sisters have found strength in each other — and now, they’re writing the next chapter side by side. Whether in practice or under the bright lights of the Palestra, the Ogbevires’ bond continues to shape not just their own story, but the future of Penn women’s basketball. As Penn looks to climb back to the top of the Ivy League, the Ogbevires’ support and determination might just be the spark the team needs.
Sports associate Emilie Chi contributed reporting.
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