Erica Ogwumike facts for kids
| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 26, 1997 Cypress, Texas |
| Nationality | American / Nigerian |
| High school | Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas) |
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| NBA Draft | 2020 / Round: 3 / Pick: 26th overall |
| Selected by the New York Liberty | |
| Pro career | 2020–present |
Erica Erinma Ogwumike (born September 26, 1997) is an amazing basketball player from both Nigeria and America. She played college basketball for the Rice Owls team.
In July 2020, Erica decided to play for the Nigeria women's national basketball team in the Tokyo Olympics. Besides being a talented athlete, Erica is also studying to become a doctor. She is currently in medical school, showing she's great at both sports and academics!
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High School Basketball Achievements
Erica played high school basketball for Cypress Woods High School. She set some incredible records there! She scored 2,227 points, grabbed 1,141 rebounds, and made 440 steals during her 143 games for the school. These numbers show how skilled she was even at a young age.
College Basketball Journey
Erica started her college basketball journey with the Pepperdine Waves women's basketball team. In her first year, she averaged 18.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.
In 2016, she moved to Rice University. Because of transfer rules, she couldn't play for the Rice Owls women's basketball team during the 2016–17 season. But she came back strong!
- In her second year (2017), she averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
- In her third year, she averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
- For her final year as a graduate student, she averaged an impressive 19 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.
Playing Professionally: The WNBA
On April 17, 2020, Erica was chosen by the New York Liberty team as the 26th pick in the 2020 WNBA draft. The WNBA draft is where professional teams pick new players from colleges.
Later that same night, she was traded to the Minnesota Lynx team. However, she was later waived (meaning released) by the Minnesota Lynx a few days after the draft.
Playing for Her Country: National Team
Erica was invited to join the Nigeria women's national basketball team for a 10-day training camp. This camp was in Atlanta and was in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. The team's coach, Otis Hughley Jr., called her up.
She proudly played in the basketball event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. During the Olympics, she averaged 1 rebound and 1 assist per game.
Erica's Family and Life
Erica was born in Cypress, Texas. She comes from a very talented basketball family! She has three older sisters who are also amazing basketball players:
- Nneka Ogwumike plays for the Seattle Storm.
- Chiney Ogwumike plays for the Los Angeles Sparks.
- Olivia plays for the Rice University Owls.
Erica is also a member of the Catholic faith.
