Ohio State forward Eboni Walker announced Wednesday that she is returning to the Buckeyes for her final season of eligibility.
“I want to publicly convey my sincere appreciation for your unwavering love and support,” she said in a statement. “From the very start, you welcomed me with open arms and provided me with the trust that allows me to strive for excellence every day, especially on the days when I get to perform.
“While I would not trade my college experience for anything, it has not been easy, I want to get things going by giving thanks to ky Lord and Savior for continuing to direct me throughout these trying times. I could not tell you where I would be if it were not for my faith. I could not tell you where I would be without my support system, but I am blessed with it, and I am still here. Thank you.
“In the end, I would like to express a sincere thank you to everyone who has not supported me and told me I would not be able to accomplish what I have. Having saids all of this, I have made the decision to use my final year of eligibility to furhter my education at THE Ohio State University. I looked forward to seeing you during the 2024-2025 season.”
Walker, who played two seasons at Arizona State, one season at Syracuse and the last two at Ohio State, was granted a sixth season by the NCAA. The Buckeyes and head coach Kevin McGuff previously said they were looking into getting a redshirt for Walker after she appeared in just six games for the Orange while dealing with an injury.
She has averaged 3.9 points and 3.2 rebounds while appearing in 57 games over the last two seasons at Ohio State, primarily coming off the bench, though she did average 6.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists when she started 11 games for the Buckeyes at the end of the 2022-23 season. Walker was also briefly away from the team this past season due to an indisclosed reason before returning and playing in the NCAA tournament against Maine.
Walker’s return offers additional depth at forward for the Buckeyes, who are losing Rebeka Mikulášiková, Taiyier Parks and Karla Vreš. The Buckeyes are, however, adding former Kentucky forward Ajae Petty and welcoming in freshman forward Ella Hobbs and center Elsa Lemmilä, the latter standing at 6-6.
