2026 Recruiting: Priyanka Ponnam

[RoadMaster]

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

2026: Priyanka Ponnam | Offer Status | 6-3 | Forward | NR #1 | 34 #2 | Elite #3 | WBB Blog | ESPN | maxpreps.com: Bio | usab.com: Bio | usatodayhss.com | youtube.com | News, Images and Videos | The Boneyard | Highlight1 | Highlight2 | Highlight3 | Highlight4 | Highlight5 |

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[Vowelguy]

Priyanka! I presume she is of Indian descent? Is she the first such notable player? I can’t think of others off top o my head

 

[CBus13]

Priyanka! I presume she is of Indian descent? Is she the first such notable player? I can’t think of others off top o my head

I guess depends on what you define as “notable” player.

In 2010’s, Shilpa Tummala played for Harvard after four years at Arizona’s St. Mary’s. I believe a teammate if Courtney Ekmark. She was number 68 or something in the ESPN 100. She had a knee injury that forced her to miss her freshmen season, I think. Never really had gaudy numbers but was big three maker for them. Senior season she averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 boards as a 5’11” guard.

Wisconsin has a player, Leena Patibandla, who is an Indian-American from Ohio, on their current roster. I don’t think she was ever nationally ranked.

Otherwise, the first Indian girls to receive D1 scholarships were Kavita Akula ‘17 (Bhilai, India) who played for Grand Canyon after two years at CC, also played for IMG Academy. And Sanjana Ramesh (Bengaluru, Karnataka, India) who played Northern Arizona U, graduated in ‘23

 

[RoadMaster]