Ornella Bankolé, a third French player joins 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 is joining Spanish team Zaragoza. She replaces Marie Mané, whose departure was announced simultaneously.

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

— Casademont Zaragoza (@casademontBZ) June 1, 2025

A Third French Player in 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 played for the Federal Center, then notably for 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 looking to play a leading role in Liga Femenina, following a playoff final appearance last month. Bankolé will join two compatriots, Carla Leite and Aminata Gueye, both coming from Villeneuve-d’Ascq, recent EuroCup winners.