1. Nneka Ogwumike was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks first overall in the 2012 WNBA draft and signed an endorsement deal with Nike soon after.
32 Facts About Nneka Ogwumike
1. 2.
Nneka Ogwumike was named to The W25, the league's list of the top 25 players of its first 25 years, in 2021.
3.
Nneka Ogwumike is the older sister of Chiney Ogwumike, the first overall pick in the 2014 WNBA draft, who most recently played for the Sparks.
4.
Nneka Ogwumike attended Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas and led them to a 5A State Championship in her senior season.
5.
Nneka Ogwumike was elected President of the WNBA Players Association in 2016 and was re-elected to a new three-year term in 2019.
6.
Nneka Ogwumike participated in the 2008 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored 17 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and earned MVP honors for the White team.
7.
Nneka Ogwumike chose Stanford over Baylor, Duke, Connecticut, Tennessee and Notre Dame.
8.
Nneka Ogwumike tallied 20 points and 15 rebounds in the championship game of the Under-18 FIBA Americas.
9.
Nneka Ogwumike was named MVP of this tournament in Argentina.
10.
On January 7,2012, Nneka Ogwumike surpassed both the 2,000 point and the 1,000 rebound thresholds for her career with a 33-point, 16 rebound performance against Oregon State.
11.
Nneka Ogwumike left the Stanford Cardinal as the second all-time leading scorer for the women's basketball program, behind only Candice Wiggins.
12.
Nneka Ogwumike was a member of the USA Women's U18 team which won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
13.
Nneka Ogwumike helped the team win all five games, starting all five games and leading all scorers with 12.6 points per game.
14.
Nneka Ogwumike was the leading rebounder with 8 per game.
15.
Nneka Ogwumike recorded 15 rebounds in the final game against Argentina, an U18 record.
16.
Nneka Ogwumike continued on to the USA Women's U19 team which represented the US in the 2009 U19 World's Championship, held in Bangkok, Thailand in July and August 2009.
17.
Nneka Ogwumike started all nine games and was the team's leading scorer, with 13.6 points per game.
18.
Nneka Ogwumike was the leading rebounder with almost ten per game, and was named to the all-tournament team.
19.
Nneka Ogwumike played on the team presenting the US at the 2011 World University Games held in Shenzhen, China, along with her sister, Chiney Nneka Ogwumike.
20.
Nneka Ogwumike averaged 13.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, both second place on the team behind Elena Delle Donne.
21.
Nneka Ogwumike became the second player from Cypress-Fairbanks High School to be drafted No 1 overall into the WNBA behind Lindsey Harding in 2007.
22.
Nneka Ogwumike was named WNBA Rookie of the Month four out of five times in her rookie season.
23.
On October 7,2012, Nneka Ogwumike was awarded as the 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year.
24.
In 2016, Nneka Ogwumike re-signed with the Sparks once her rookie contract expired.
25.
Nneka Ogwumike became the seventh player in WNBA history to win both the regular season MVP award and a championship in the same season.
26.
In 2017, Nneka Ogwumike signed a contract extension with the Sparks.
27.
Later on in the season, Nneka 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.
28.
Nneka Ogwumike would be voted into the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game, making it her 6th all-star appearance.
29.
In January 2021, Nneka Ogwumike re-signed with the Sparks to a multi-year deal.
30.
On February 5,2024, Nneka Ogwumike signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Storm.
31.
On February 8,2025, Nneka Ogwumike re-signed with Seattle for one more year.
32.
Nneka Ogwumike has recruited several female athletes to join the organization and has committed to shifting its focus to women's reproductive rights for the 2024 election cycle.