Ohio graduate student forward Elli Garnett bounced around different programs before coming to the Bobcats. She spent two seasons at Northern Colorado and one season at Eastern Florida State, Winthrop, Nicholls State and now is in her final season at Ohio.
Coincidentally, her older sister, Abby Garnett, happens to be an assistant coach for the Bobcats.
Abby Garnett played for the Bobcats from 2018 to 2023. During her time, the team made it to three Women’s National Invitation Tournaments. She came back as an assistant coach in September 2024.
“I’ve always had a goal to follow in her footsteps,” Elli Garnett said. “Coming here, being her little sister, people knowing me from her, it's awesome.”
Having an older sister as a coach has been great for both sides of the sister relationship. Feeling comfortable enough with a coach to be able to express emotions and tribulations can make it easier to feel connected with the team.
“I’ve been able to test the limits with Elli,” Abby Garnett said. “I can be hard on her, but she knows I’m her number one fan at the end of the day.”
The comforting relationship between the two has pushed Elli Garnett to become a better player.
“I think being able to totally be me has been super awesome, and I’m not afraid to be who I am,” Elli Garnett said. “That has only made me better, on and off the court.”
However, there can also be some downsides to their situations. Siblings bicker a lot, and it can be hard not to do that or show disrespect in front of the rest of the team.
“Maybe we’ve bumped heads, but at the end of the day, we get to call each other sister, so that’s pretty cool,” Elli Garnett said.
Abby Garnett also played a part in recruiting Elli Garnett. Portal season is big for every athlete and every team, with each team having new needs each season. Abby Garnett kept an eye and an ear out for what Elli Garnett was going to do.
“She and I, through distance, talk every day, so I gauged that she was about to transfer, and I shared that with (head coach Bob Bolden),” Abby Garnett said. “I think it was a no-brainer, the kind of kid we were going to be getting.”
Elli Garnett was always open to playing for Ohio, and she has enjoyed having her older sister as her guide around town and around the university.
While this is certainly special for both sisters, it is also special for the parents and the rest of the family to see both get to work together. They are close enough in age that they played in high school together. Both of their parents played basketball in college, too.
“They look forward to hearing our voices together, when we’re driving in the car, or seeing us on TV,” Elli Garnett said. “It’s kind of a light in their life, and it’s special. They love it and are so grateful we get to have each other going through the year.”
In addition to pulling on their heartstrings, having both daughters in the same town has made the Garnett parents' visits a lot more cost-effective.
“They come to visit us together, and that’s been fun, too,” Abby Garnett said. “We haven’t got to experience that in years.”
This is certainly a unique situation for the Garnetts and the Bobcats, but it has had its payoff. Elli Garnett is averaging 8.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, thanks to her sister and the rest of the coaching staff.
“Having that separation and distance when I went to college and Elli went to college, and we were in different places, our parents were supporting two different teams at the same time, which they loved through and through, but the opportunity to come and do this together is unlike any other,” Abby Garnett said.
