Ornella Bankolé, a third French player at Zaragoza

Ornella Bankolé (1.81 m, 27 years old) continues her career abroad. After a solid season at Charleville-Mézières, where she notably won the French Cup, the French international joins Spanish team Zaragoza. She replaces Marie Mané, whose departure was announced simultaneously.

𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙞é𝙣 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣 𝙫𝙤𝙨𝙤𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙨 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LetXdDkJyW

— Casademont Zaragoza (@casademontBZ) June 1, 2025

A Third French Player at Zaragoza

Already well-stocked with French talent following the arrivals of Carla Leite and Aminata Gueye, Zaragoza adds another piece to its puzzle with the recruitment of Ornella Bankolé. Having gone through the Federal Center, then notably Lattes-Montpellier, La Roche Vendée and Bourges, the Auxerre native spent the 2024-2025 season with Flammes Carolo, where she averaged 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the championship.

A regular with the French national team since 2019 and silver medalist at EuroBasket that same year, Bankolé will experience her second stint in Spain. She briefly played for Girona in 2023 before getting injured after only two games.

In the Aragonese club’s press release, coach Carlos Cantero welcomes this arrival: « Ornella will be a player who will contribute on both ends of the floor. She’s vertical to the rim, skilled from 3-point range, and has good physical attributes for defense and rebounding. With her intensity, she will help make us a winning team. »

Gracias Marea Roja x Gracias @casademontBZ 🦁❤️‍🔹 Nos vemos pronto! https://t.co/MJAkR1XNEf

— Marie MANÉ (@marie_mane) June 1, 2025

An Experienced Player with a Complete Skill Set

Ornella Bankolé is known for her versatility and energy. Her best individual season remains 2021-2022 with La Roche Vendée (15 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists). That year, she was named to the LFB All-Star Five.

By signing a one-year deal with Zaragoza, she joins an ambitious team that aims to play a leading role in Liga Femenina, following a playoff final last month. Bankolé will join two compatriots, Carla Leite and Aminata Gueye, both coming from Villeneuve-d’Ascq, recent EuroCup winners.