Having failed to qualify for the postseason, the French forward will then end her first stint in the American league and be free to travel to the Aragonese capital, where she will once again play under Carlos Cantero. The timing will prevent her from being available for the Super Cup, which begins next Saturday, September 26, with the semifinal against Valencia Basket.
Last Friday, the French forward saw her contract with the Canadian franchise upgraded from a development deal to a regular contract. The change did not affect Casademont’s plans, as the club had not expected her to return until the end of the WNBA regular season following the steps forward she had taken in recent weeks.
So far, Bankolé has played 12 games for Toronto Tempo, where she has taken on an increasingly important role, with two games remaining. She is averaging 3.25 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in just over 14 minutes. Next season will be her second with Casademont after she renewed her contract for another year last May.
THE SUPERCUP
With Nadia Fingall still expected to arrive in Zaragoza, Carlos Cantero will be able to count on the American power forward for the Super Cup. However, he will most likely not have Ornella Bankolé available. Although she will arrive with significant game fitness from training and playing with a WNBA team, she will have very little time to make an impact from the start of the competition.
