Rutgers women’s basketball has added a proven force on the glass, landing graduate transfer Sisi Eleko for the 2026-27 roster.
Head coach Gary Redus II announced the signing of the 6-foot-2 forward, who arrives from Eastern Michigan after two seasons of production that put her among the nation’s best rebounders.
"We're ecstatic to be able to add someone of Sisi's caliber this late in the process," Redus said. "You typically don't find players with this level of accomplishment this late, so we really feel like we found a diamond in the rough.
She's one of the most accomplished rebounders in the country, and the fact that she can score at all three levels makes her an incredibly valuable addition for us. We believe her ability to rebound and impact the game will translate right away, and we're very excited about the boost she'll give our team.
She aspires to play at the next level, and we're excited to help her reach those goals and continue to develop here at Rutgers."
Eleko’s résumé is stacked. She earned All-MAC Second Team honors in both of her seasons with the Eagles and was named MAC Player of the Week three times during her senior year. By the time her collegiate career wrapped up, she had piled up 51 double-doubles, which ranked third among active NCAA Division I players as of March 2026.
The Montreal, Quebec, native finished her first four college seasons with 1,735 points, placing her among the top 35 active Division I players, and grabbed 1,053 rebounds, good for 12th nationally. At Eastern Michigan, she set the program standard in career rebounds per game at 10.0 and defensive rebounds per game at 7.4. She also ranked fourth in career points per game at 17.7, fifth in minutes per game at 33.7, seventh in offensive rebounds per game at 2.5 and 29th in total points with 992.
Her final season in Ypsilanti was especially strong. In 2025-26, Eleko led Eastern Michigan in scoring at 17.6 points per game, which ranked second in the MAC, and topped the conference with 9.9 rebounds per game. She added 1.6 assists per game and shot 48.5 percent from the field.
She also piled up 17 double-doubles during the regular season, leading the MAC and ranking seventh nationally. Over her Eastern Michigan career, she finished with 31 double-doubles, tying the program record. She scored in double figures in every game she played in 2025-26, reached 20 or more points 10 times and grabbed double-digit rebounds in 17 of 28 games.
Before Eastern Michigan, Eleko spent her first two college seasons at Canisius. As a sophomore, she was a unanimous All-MAAC First Team pick and also made the All-MAAC Championship Team.
That year, she set the program record with 328 rebounds, became the only player in the conference to average a double-double, and posted 15.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Her 18 double-doubles led the MAAC and ranked among the top 20 nationally.
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