The WNBA season might be coming to a close soon, but one of the brightest stars has been Nneka Ogwumike. Drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012, Ogwumike has been consistently getting better each season and has become one of the key pieces contributing to their success. On a roster as talented as the Sparks, she has become a stand-out player and is already making a case for being one of the greatest to play in the WNBA.
Ogwumike attended Cypress-Fairbanks High School in Texas where she took the team to the state championships. She played in the 2008 WBCA High School All-America Game. She was named MVP of the white team, but she would really be noticed when she attended Stanford in 2008. She was also a member of the Under-18 FIBA Americas team and helped bring back gold for the United States.
She chose to attend Stanford with her sister Chiney Ogwumike even though she had also received offers from Baylor, Duke, Connecticut, Notre Dame and Tennesse. During her time at Stanford, Ogwumike broke multiple records including rebounds in a game, second all-time leading scorer and she scored over 2,000 points. She also racked up over 1,000 rebounds as a Cardinal. Despite all her time there, she was never able to clinch a NCAA Championship for Stanford.
She entered the 2012 WNBA draft where she was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. She made a huge impact on the team, finishing her rookie season tied for points and rebounds with her teammate, Candace Parker. In 2012, she was named the WNBA Rookie Of The Year and was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team. From 2013-15, she was named a WNBA All-Star and in 2014, she was named to the All-WNBA Second Team. Since her start with the Sparks, she has helped get them into the postseason every single season.
This year was an especially good one for Ogwumike. She earned her highest field-goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage, while averaging 9.1 rebounds per game, 1.1 blocks per game and 19.7 points per game. She is capping off this season with a playoff run and was named the WNBA MVP.
She and Candace Parker have been seemingly unstoppable in the playoffs this season. Ogwumike might not be a household name yet, but if she continues her work ethic and playing at a high level, she will be known as one of the best to ever play the game. If you aren’t rooting for Nneka Ogwumike, then you should be now!
[…] been pretty vocal during this year’s finals especially about last week’s spotlight, Nneka Ogwumike. Referring to Ogwumike as the “biggest flopper in the league,” Reeve is one of the few […]