The former WNBA Rookie of the Year was a key member of the Sparks 2016 WNBA championship team. In the semi-finals, the Sparks were eliminated in a three-game sweep by the Connecticut Sun. Nneka is an extraordinary person and teammate, head coach Curt Miller said in a statement. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'liverampup_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_0',181,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-liverampup_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'liverampup_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',181,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-liverampup_com-medrectangle-4-0_1');.medrectangle-4-multi-181{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}, A fan mentions his intention of marrying Nneka on 5 December 2015(Nneka Ogwumike's Twitter). Thuc Nhi Nguyen covers college sports and the NBA for the Los Angeles Times. I couldnt be more excited to coach Nneka.. [1] She is the older sister of Chiney Ogwumike, who also plays for the Sparks. Gatorade High School Basketball Player of the Year Award, Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year, 2014 FIBA World Championship Gold medal, 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Gold medal, "Inside Access: Introducing Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike", "WNBA Continues Celebration Of Landmark 25th Season, Names Greatest Players In League History, "The W25", "Nnemkadi Ogwumike goes No. Required fields are marked *. The team has revamped its roster in WNBA free agency with hopes of returning to the postseason after two straight seasons of not making the playoffs. Ogwumike chose Stanford over Baylor, Duke, Connecticut, Tennessee and Notre Dame. She is of African American ethnicity and has an American nationality. Her two younger sister, Olivia, and Erica are polishing their skills, by flaunting their talents for Rice University. She is a 32-year-old guard with career averages of 16.2. Ogwumike, 32, also serves as president of the WNBPA, representing the leagues 144 players in contract negotiations, grievances, and social actions. "It really breaks my heart that Nneka is not on this team," Staley said Monday in a video call with media. Nnemkadi Chinwe Victoria "Nneka" Ogwumike // ( listen) ( / nk owumke /; born July 2, 1990) is a Nigerian-American basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), after being drafted No. In 2016, she signed a contract extension with the Sparks after her rookie contract expired. Almost a decade after the Sparks picked the forward first overall in the 2012 WNBA draft, the team is looking. None of them is an Olympic first-timer, though. Despite the up and down year, Ogwumike put up one of the best seasons of her career in 2022. He is also a graduate of Syracuse University, where he received a masters degree in broadcast journalism. Ogwumike didn't get consideration for her MVP performance in 2016 because the Olympic team was selected in late April 2016, before the WNBA season started. Ogwumike started and appeared in 34 games, averaging 18.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 34.1 minutes per game. The Sparks finished the season 157 as the number 3 seed, receiving a bye to the second round, but were once again eliminated by the Connecticut Sun in the elimination game, Ogwumike was unable to play for the game due to an illness. Nneka, 31, was a longtime member of the U.S. senior national team, winning gold medals with the American squad in 2014 and 2018 at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. That said, she was coming off a strong 2015 season in which she was an All-Star and on the WNBA's all-defensive team. Los Angeles Sparks coach Derek Fisher ripped USA Basketball for its decision Monday to leave forward Nneka Ogwumike off the U.S. women's basketball Olympic squad, calling the ongoing omission of the six-time All-Star and former MVP a "travesty. Ogwumike has been one of the most prominent WNBA figures off the court for her role as president of the executive committee for the players union. It was for her spectacular performance and smooth play that Nneka Ogwumike stole the headlines. Nneka Ogwumike's current salary is $115,000 and her net-worth is under review. And she'll remain . The six-time All-Star has yet to play in the Olympics. Moving towards her body measurements, she has a good height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88m) and weighs 79 kg. First-year general manager Karen Bryant said in a statement that bringing Ogwumike back was the top priority of 2023 free agency for the team. You can view the 2022 photo shoot for Nneka Ogwumike here. Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) finished with 23 points in a 78-75 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Monday, July. "You have to put your money where. Ogwumike's omission drew multiple rebukes online, including from her sister and Sparks teammate, Chiney Ogwumike; former Stanford teammate and basketball analyst Ros Gold-Onwude; and former WNBA player Devereaux Peters, who competed collegiately at Notre Dame and criticized USA Basketball and the selection process. [12] She was a member of USA Under 18 Team that won gold in Argentina on July 2327, 2008. In comparison to her younger sister, Nnemkadi Chinwe Victoria "Nneka" Ogwumike, who was drafted No. In the 2021 season, Nneka was named to The W25 as oe of the Top 25 players in league history. She attended Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas, she led her school team to a 5A State Championship during her senior season. 1 overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft. "How many times are we gonna say it's not politics? "I don't know what else a player is supposed to do," Fisher said. Ogwumike, 32, said she wanted her vision for the Sparks to be in alignment with the team's. In 2016, two-time Olympian and two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker, a longtime Sparks player now with Chicago, was not selected. Her parents origin is Africa but later relocated to the United States after securing jobs there. Growing up in a family with parents who were there throughout their endeavor only made things better. But, her official boyfriend is yet to be confirmed as the basketball lady has not left a single hint about her lover onsocial media. 3 She'll probably come back down . Nneka had also played with her sister, Chiney Ogwumike in Stanford. "It's really, really difficult, with some injuries, and trying to put together that best roster.". Ogwumike, who turns 31 on July 2, has yet to speak publicly about her Olympic omission. In the regular season finale on September 20, 2012, Ogwumike matched her teammate Candace Parker for team highs in both points and rebounds with each player earning 22 and 11, respectively, in a 9276 win over the defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx. Nneka Ogwumike she/her. Being elected as the President of the WNBA Players Association and playing for the Dynamo Kursk of Russia, the eldest Ogwumike daughter had made her parents more proud after announcing her contract extension for 2016 WNBA MVP. The team, coached by Bill Fennelly, won all six games to earn the gold medal. Ogwumike won her first career WNBA championship. Bryant said once Nneka was on board, she became the organizations top recruiter. Ogwumikes vision includes the Sparks being more than just a basketball team. If it was four weeks, that could still get Ogwumike back on court the first week of July, several days before USA training camp begins in Las Vegas around July 13. [20], Ogwumike played on the team presenting the US at the 2011 World University Games held in Shenzhen, China, along with her sister, Chiney Ogwumike . The difference between Ogwumike and No. LOS ANGELES Nneka Ogwumike made sure to make one thing clear during the WNBA free agency period. [37] Later on in the season, Ogwumike was voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game but would miss the game due to fatigue, which kept her sidelined for over a week in mid July. Her work ethic and dedication to her craft is exceptional. A team that gets people excited about basketball and sport. At the end of the 2017 season, Nneka led the Sparks to finish as the number 2 seed for the second year in a row with the same record and received a double-bye to the semi-final. Some are merely run-of-the-mill sports fare, such as Nek, Nek Nek, Nnekanator, and Guma, a rare surname riff . 1 overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft. More About WNBA Players:Pepperdine Promotes DeLisha Milton-Jones To Head Coach Just Months After She Retired From Game. Get viral graphics, memes, rumors and trending sports news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter. She likened the process to talking with friends, in part because of her leadership role with the Womens National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). LA Sparks 2023 season tickets are availableherefor purchase. Yet the Sparks have missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since Ogwumike lost longtime co-star Candace Parker. The event was held in July 2008, when the USA team defeated host Argentina to win the championship. Nneka was named WNBA MVP for the 2016 WNBA season. At Stanford University, Nneka was a member of the USA Under 18 Team that won gold in Argentina. Nnemkadi Chinwe Victoria Nneka Ogwummike, 2021 WNBA All-Star as a member of Team USA, 2006 Street and Smith All-America Honorable Mention, Ranked 6th best player in the class by ESPN HoopGurlz, Ranked 4th best player in the class by Blue Star Basketball, Ranked 3rd best player by rising Magazine, Ranked 2nd best player in the class by ASGR. Per team policy, the terms of the agreement were not released. Parker, asked Tuesday afterChicago's win over New York aboutthe omission of her former teammate, said she thinks "politics" played a role and that they did with her own Olympic omission in 2016, which ended her national team career. Sparks re-sign Nneka Ogwumike, their top, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Sparks re-sign Nneka Ogwumike, their top free agency priority, Nneka Ogwumike wants Sparks to be more than a basketball team, Sparks Chiney Ogwumike able to be my best self now, Chiney Ogwumike re-signs with Sparks; two-time All-Star reunited with Coach Curt Miller, Sparks sign veteran guard Yang Liwei from China, Azur Stevens excited for expanded role with new-look Sparks. In January 2021, she re-signed again with the Sparks to a multi-year deal. LOS ANGELES Team USA released its women's basketball roster for the Tokyo Olympics, and again Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike was not on it. Menu. [22], Ogwumike was named WNBA Rookie of the Month four out of five times in her rookie season. The 2016 league MVP has played all 11 of her seasons in the WNBA with the Sparks. In the first round elimination game, they defeated the championship-defending Minnesota Lynx 7568. Nneka was named WNBA Rookie of the Month four out of five times during her rookie season. Shes coming off another All-WNBA season and continues to add levels to her game. In 2021 she was named to the The W25the 25 greatest players to ever play in the leagues history. How did the rookies perform in the 2023 Daytona 500? Nneka tallied 20 points and 15 rebounds in the championship game of the Under-18 FIBA Americas. Ogwumike will return to the franchise for a 12th season, hoping to help the organization rekindle its success after two consecutive losing seasons. 1 draft pick out of Stanford and WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2012. She was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played June 20-26, her 13th career Player of the Week recognition. The 2016 league MVP has played all 11 of her seasons in the WNBA with the Sparks. 1 overall into the WNBA behind Lindsey Harding in 2007. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'liverampup_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_4',186,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-liverampup_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');Nneka, who has been spot on when it comes to basketball, has passed on the same inspiration to her second born sister, Chiney, who now works for ESPN during her WNBAoffseason. Davis is a graduate of Central Michigan University, where he received a bachelors degree in broadcast and cinematic arts. Her sister, Chiney Ogwumike, serves as the vice president a position Nneka held for the previous two years. Re-signing Nneka was the top priority of 2023 free agency for the Los Angeles Sparks, said Sparks CAO & GM Karen Bryant. There are, however, three players on the team this year who are 35 or older: Seattle's Sue Bird (40), Phoenix's Taurasi (39) and Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles (35). In 2017, the season she was voted into the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game that makes her fourth career all-star appearance. On 12 July 2012, she set a career-high with 20 rebounds and 22 points in a winning match against WNBA champion Indian Fever. Beyond Nnekas relationship status, her other captivating detail is about the family life. Caption: Nneka Ogwumike cute smile (Source: Los Angeles). Ogwumike also didn't make the 2012 Olympic team, which also was picked in April. He said Callan should be the speaker for the selection committee about the makeup of this year's team. With the WNBA's new playoff format in effect, the Sparks were the number 2 seed in the league with a double-bye to the semi-finals (the last round before the WNBA Finals) facing the Chicago Sky. Nneka is currently single. Nneka also played for Team USA at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women, where she helped them to defeat Spain 77-64 in the gold medal game. While Parker went to Chicago as a free agent in 2021, won a title with her hometown team and then signed with the Las Vegas Aces this year, Ogwumike has been a steadying presence during the Sparks recent struggles. Voepel of ESPN. Nneka Ogwumike is President of the WNBPA, now serving in her third term in the position. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Early Friday afternoon, news broke that Nneka Ogwumike, sister of Chiney Ogwumike, signed a one-year, $165,000 deal with the LA Sparks. NBA and WNBA stars Damian Lillard, Diana Taurasi and Nneka Ogwumike took their talents from the court to the big screen for Space Jam 2. . Last season, Ogwumike was named to her seventh WNBA All-Star team and was a second team All-WNBA selection. The 2016 WNBA MVP said she appreciated that new Sparks general manager Karen Bryant and new coach Curt Miller flew to Houston and met with her face-to-face, which made a distinct impression on her. Davis is also an adjunct professor at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. She also wanted to be recruited during her unrestricted free agency, in which she could have signed a new contract with any of the other 11 teams in the league. She tallied 20 points and 15 rebounds in the championship game of the Under-18 FIBA Americas. A few teams are still filling out their rosters with available free agents and inviting players to training camp with hopes of making a teams final roster. In the second round elimination game, the Sparks defeated the defending champions Seattle Storm 9269. WNBA player, Nneka Ogwumike has been hinting about her dating life with frequent posts about a possible boyfriendOne of the most iconic women players, she was raised among her sisters, who are also interested in taking a career in the sport Raised by parents , Nneka currently ages 28 and enjoys a net worth of Pepperdine Promotes DeLisha Milton-Jones To Head Coach Just Months After She Retired From Game, Retired Christian Ponder Contract & Salary That Shapes His Net Worth, Harrison Barnes Shares Wedding Moments With Wife | Recent Contracts, Who Is Nneka Ogwumike Boyfriend At Age 28? As her four daughters' careers blossomed, Ify had adopted a number of rituals to help calm. Is Nneka Ogwumike involved in any rumors and controversies? Nneka is deeply ingrained in the rich history of the Sparks and is both an elite basketball player and a trailblazer for our league and beyond. 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