Standout Penn women’s basketball alumna Jordan Obi has become the first player in program history to be drafted to the WNBA.
The 2024 College of Arts and Sciences graduate was selected 44th overall by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13. Obi spent her two most recent seasons as a Kentucky Wildcat.
By the conclusion of her Penn career, the forward amassed a stacked resume, including three All-Ivy selections, first team in her senior year, and first team All-Big 5. She also became the 25th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points — being seventh fastest to that milestone.
In her career at Penn, Obi started in all but one game, and in her final season was a force to be reckoned with offensively and on the boards. Her senior year, she ranked second on the team in scoring with a career-best 14.8 points per game, and led the team in rebounding with a career-best 7.7 per game.
“Jordan has been rewarded for the endless amount of work she has poured into her game. So proud of what she has accomplished,” Penn women’s basketball coach Mike McLaughlin wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Her natural talent and her love for the game is so noticeable when you watch her compete.”
Obi played three seasons for the Quakers. Her freshman season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and she sat out her first year at Kentucky due to an injury.
With the Wildcats, Obi remained an impact player. She averaged nine points per game and six rebounds per game across her final season while shooting a career-high 51.8% from the floor. With her help, Kentucky ended the season with a 25-11 overall record and made it to the Sweet 16, ultimately falling to No.3 Texas.
Obi is not the only recent Ivy League alumnae to be drafted by the Aces. At the 2025 WNBA Draft, Harvard women’s basketball alumna Harmoni Turner was selected 34th overall by the Aces before being waived.
