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Nneka Ogwumike facts for kids

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Nneka Ogwumike
Nneka Ogwumike 2024 (cropped).jpg
Ogwumike with the Seattle Storm in 2024
No. 3 – Seattle Storm
Power forward
Personal information
Born (1990-07-02) July 2, 1990 (age 35)
Tomball, Texas, U.S.
High school Cy-Fair
(Cypress, Texas)
Listed height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight 190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College Stanford (2008–2012)
NBA Draft 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks
Pro career 2012–present
League WNBA
Career history
2012–2023 Los Angeles Sparks
2012–2013 CCC Polkowice
2013–2014 Guangdong Vermilion Birds
2014–2018 Dynamo Kursk
2019 Guangdong Vermilion Birds
2024–present Seattle Storm
Career highlights and awards
  • WNBA champion (2016)
  • WNBA MVP (2016)
  • WNBA Rookie of the Year (2012)
  • WNBA All-Rookie Team (2012)
  • 10× WNBA All-Star (2013–2015, 2017–2019, 2022–2025)
  • All-WNBA First Team (2016)
  • 6× All-WNBA Second Team (2014, 2017, 2019, 2022-2024)
  • 4× WNBA All-Defensive First Team (2015–2017, 2019)
  • 3× WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2018, 2023, 2024)
  • 3× Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award (2019–2021)
  • WNBA 25th Anniversary Team (2021)
  • EuroLeague champion (2017)
  • Polish National League champion (2013)
  • Senior CLASS Award (2012)
  • First-team All-American – AP (2012)
  • WBCA Coaches' All-American (2012)
  • 2x State Farm All-American (2010, 2011)
  • 3x All-American – USBWA (2010–2012)
  • 2x Pac-12 Player of the Year (2010, 2012)
  • 2x Second-team All-American – AP (2010, 2011)
  • Pac-12 Tournament MOP (2010–2012)
  • 3x All-Pac 12 (2010–2012)
  • Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2009)
  • MaxPreps National Player of the Year (2008)
  • McDonald's All-American (2008)
  • Gatorade National Player of the Year (2008)
Medals
Women's Basketball
Representing  United States
World Cup
Gold 2014 Turkey
Gold 2018 Spain
World University Games
Gold 2011 Shenzhen Team
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold 2009 Thailand Team
FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship
Gold 2008 Argentina Team

Nnemkadi Chinwe Victoria "Nneka" Ogwumike is an American professional basketball player. She plays for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was the very first player chosen in the 2012 WNBA draft.

Nneka played for the Los Angeles Sparks for 12 seasons. She was named the WNBA MVP in 2016. In the same year, she helped her team win the WNBA Finals championship. In 2021, she was chosen for "The W25" list, which celebrates the top 25 players in the WNBA's first 25 years.

Her first name, "Nneka," means "Mother is Supreme" in the Igbo language. Her family comes from Nigeria. Nneka's younger sister, Chiney Ogwumike, is also a professional basketball player. Chiney was the first pick in the 2014 WNBA draft.

Nneka went to Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas. She led her high school team to a state championship in her final year. At Stanford University, she helped the Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team reach the Final Four four times. Nneka was elected President of the WNBA Players Association in 2016 and again in 2019.

Early Life and High School Success

Nneka Ogwumike was recognized as a top high school player. She was named a WBCA All-American. In 2008, she played in the WBCA High School All-America Game. She scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, earning MVP honors for her team. During her senior year at Cy-Fair High School, she averaged 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

College Basketball Journey

Nnemkadi Ogwumike
Ogwumike playing for Stanford

Nneka chose to play college basketball at Stanford University. She picked Stanford over other major schools like Baylor and Duke. While at Stanford, she played alongside her sister, Chiney Ogwumike.

On January 23, 2010, Nneka set a new record for Stanford. She grabbed 23 rebounds in a game against Oregon. This was the most rebounds ever by a Stanford player in a single game.

On December 20, 2011, Nneka had an amazing game. She scored a career-high 42 points against the Tennessee Lady Vols. She also had 17 rebounds in that game.

By January 7, 2012, Nneka reached two big milestones. She scored over 2,000 points and grabbed over 1,000 rebounds in her college career. She achieved this with a 33-point, 16-rebound game against Oregon State.

When she finished at Stanford, Nneka was the second-highest scorer in the women's basketball program's history. Only Candice Wiggins had scored more points.

Playing for Team USA

Nneka Ogwumike has proudly represented the United States in basketball. She was part of the USA Women's U18 team. This team won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Argentina in 2008. Nneka led the team in scoring and rebounding. She had 15 rebounds in the final game, which was an U18 record.

She also played for the USA Women's U19 team. They won the gold medal at the 2009 U19 World's Championship in Thailand. Nneka was the team's top scorer and rebounder. She was named to the all-tournament team.

In 2011, Nneka played for Team USA at the FISU World University Games in China. Her sister, Chiney, was also on this team. They won the gold medal, winning all six of their games.

Nneka also helped Team USA win gold at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women. They defeated Spain in the championship game.

WNBA Career Highlights

Ogwumike-20180520
Ogwumike in 2018

Los Angeles Sparks: A Championship Run

On April 16, 2012, the Los Angeles Sparks chose Nneka Ogwumike as the first overall pick in the 2012 WNBA draft. She was the second player from her high school to be drafted first in the WNBA.

In her rookie season, Nneka was named WNBA Rookie of the Month four times. On October 7, 2012, she won the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. This made her the fifth straight first overall draft pick to win this award.

In 2014, Nneka was voted a WNBA All-Star for the second time. Her sister, Chiney, was also selected. They became the first sisters to play in a WNBA All-Star game together.

In 2016, Nneka re-signed with the Sparks. She had an incredible season, leading the league in field goal percentage. She was named the AP WNBA Player of the Year. Her amazing performance earned her the 2016 WNBA Most Valuable Player Award.

During that season, Nneka set a WNBA record. She made 23 shots in a row over three games. She also scored 32 points without missing a single shot in one game. On June 30, 2016, she scored a career-high 38 points against the Atlanta Dream.

With teammates like Candace Parker, the Sparks had a great season. They finished with a 26–8 record. The Sparks made it to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2003. They faced the defending champions, the Minnesota Lynx. The Sparks won the championship in a tough five-game series. This was Nneka's first WNBA championship. In the final game, Nneka scored the game-winning shot with only 3 seconds left. She became one of only seven players in WNBA history to win both the MVP award and a championship in the same season.

In 2017, Nneka signed an extension with the Sparks. She was voted into the 2017 WNBA All-Star Game. She led the Sparks in scoring for the second year in a row. The Sparks reached the WNBA Finals again, facing the Lynx. However, they lost in five games.

2021-09-19 WNBA Dallas Wings vs LA Sparks - 28 Awak Kuier vs 30 Nneka Ogwumike
Ogwumike (right) plays defense during a 2021 WNBA game.

In 2018, Nneka was voted into the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game. She missed the game due to fatigue. The Sparks finished the season as the number 6 seed. They won their first playoff game but lost in the second round.

In 2019, Nneka scored a season-high 31 points against the Washington Mystics. She was voted into her sixth All-Star game. The Sparks made it to the semi-finals but were swept by the Connecticut Sun.

The 2020 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nneka played 18 games. The Sparks made the playoffs but were again eliminated by the Connecticut Sun. Nneka could not play in that game due to illness.

In 2021, Nneka re-signed with the Sparks. She was named to "The W25" list of the top 25 players in WNBA history. She also won the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award for the third year in a row.

Nneka Ogwumike (53062759824) (cropped)
Ogwumike with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2023

Seattle Storm: A New Chapter

On February 5, 2024, Nneka Ogwumike signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Storm. She re-signed with Seattle for another year on February 8, 2025.

Playing Overseas

During the WNBA off-seasons, Nneka also played basketball in other countries. In 2012–13, she played in Poland for CCC Polkowice and won a championship. From 2014 to 2018, she played in Russia for Dynamo Kursk. She won the 2017 Euroleague with that team. She also played in China for Guangdong Vermilion Birds in 2013–2014 and again in 2019.

Off the Court Activities

Personal Life

Nneka Ogwumike is Catholic.

Giving Back to the Community

Nneka is involved in many activities off the court. In February 2024, she joined the WNBA Changemakers Collective. This group works with VOICEINSPORT (VIS) to help keep girls involved in sports. They also aim to develop diverse leaders.

In August 2024, Nneka took over leadership of More Than a Vote. This non-profit organization was started by LeBron James. Nneka has brought many female athletes into the group. She has also focused the organization's efforts on women's reproductive rights for the 2024 election cycle.

Career Statistics

WNBA Regular Season Stats

† Denotes seasons in which Ogwumike won a WNBA championship
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2012 Los Angeles 33 33 27.9 .535 .143 .734 7.5 1.2 1.3 0.8 1.2 14.0
2013 Los Angeles 34 34 25.8 .566 .400 .826 7.6 1.3 1.4 0.9 1.9 14.6
2014 Los Angeles 33 33 27.6 .520 .300 .873 7.1 1.5 1.7 0.4 2.0 15.8
2015 Los Angeles 23 23 34.1° .525 .083 .866 7.3 2.1 1.0 0.4 1.8 16.5
2016† Los Angeles 33 33 31.6 .665° .615 .869 9.1 3.1 1.2 1.1 2.1 19.7
2017 Los Angeles 34 34 30.9 .561 .340 .870 7.7 2.1 1.8 0.5 1.5 18.8
2018 Los Angeles 27 27 30.8 .525 .346 .816 6.8 2.0 1.5 0.4 1.4 15.5
2019 Los Angeles 32 32 27.9 .510 .338 .828 8.8 1.8 1.8 0.4 1.8 16.1
2020 Los Angeles 18 18 26.2 .569 .500 .837 4.8 1.7 1.1 0.2 1.6 13.3
2021 Los Angeles 18 18 31.7 .532 .367 .800 6.5 2.7 1.4 0.3 2.2 14.5
2022 Los Angeles 34 34 31.4 .544 .368 .826 6.6 2.0 1.7 0.4 1.8 18.1
2023 Los Angeles 36 36 31.1 .512 .339 .870 8.8 2.7 1.7 0.7 2.2 19.1
2024 Seattle 37 37 31.8 .511 .405 .876 7.6 2.3 1.9 0.5 1.4 16.7
2025 Seattle 20 20 31.3 .526 .355 .810 8.0 2.3 1.4 0.6 2.1 17.0
Career 14 years, 2 teams 413 412 29.9 .541 .367 .840 7.6 2.0 1.6 0.6 1.8 16.6
All-Star 8 3 19.5 .649 .000 — 6.3 2.3 0.1 0.1 1.4 12.5

WNBA Playoff Stats

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2012 Los Angeles 4 4 25.8 .552 — .400 5.3 0.5 1.0 0.8 1.2 9.0
2013 Los Angeles 3 3 30.3 .419 — .909 11.7 1.0 0.7 0.0 2.0 12.0
2014 Los Angeles 2 2 30.0 .667 — 1.000 6.0 1.0 0.5 0.0 3.0 13.0
2015 Los Angeles 3 3 30.7 .600 — .833 4.3 2.0 1.0 0.3 2.3 11.7
2016† Los Angeles 9 9 31.4 .625 .222 .763 9.3 2.6 2.0 1.1 2.8 17.9
2017 Los Angeles 8 8 31.5 .482 .100 .744 8.8 1.5 2.1 0.1 1.7 14.0
2018 Los Angeles 2 2 33.8 .400 — .733 4.0 1.5 1.5 0.5 2.5 13.5
2019 Los Angeles 4 4 29.1 .592 .400 .857 7.3 1.8 1.2 0.5 2.0 18.0
2024 Seattle 2 2 37.0 .324 .222 1.000 10.0 2.0 3.0° 0.5 0.5 14.5
Career 9 years, 2 teams 37 37 30.8 .531 .212 .771 7.9 1.7 1.6 0.5 2.1 14.4

College Career Stats

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2008–09 Stanford 38 14 21.0 .629 — .702 6.1 1.0 0.4 0.3 2.1 10.6
2009–10 Stanford 38 38 30.4 .598 .000 .761 9.9 1.4 0.9 0.5 2.1 18.5
2010–11 Stanford 33 33 28.8 .586 .222 .757 7.6 1.2 0.9 0.6 1.4 17.5
2011–12 Stanford 36 36 30.0 .547 .235 .830 10.2 1.8 1.4 1.1 2.2 22.5
Career 145 121 27.5 .591 .109 .762 8.5 1.3 0.9 0.6 2.0 17.2

Awards and Honors

Nneka Ogwumike has received many awards throughout her career:

  • 2021: The W25 (Top 25 WNBA Players)
  • 2019, 2020, 2021: Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award
  • 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025: WNBA All-Star (10 times)
  • 2016: WNBA Champion
  • 2016: WNBA MVP (Most Valuable Player)
  • 2016: All-WNBA First Team
  • 2014, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024: All-WNBA Second Team
  • 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019: WNBA All-Defensive First Team
  • 2018, 2023, 2024: WNBA All-Defensive Second Team
  • 2012: WNBA Rookie of the Year
  • 2017: EuroLeague Women Champion (with Dynamo Kursk)
  • 2013: Polish National League Champion (with CCC Polkowice)
  • 2012: Senior CLASS Award (for college athletes)
  • 2010, 2012: Pac-12 Player of the Year
  • 2008: Gatorade National Player of the Year
  • 2008: McDonald's All-American

See also

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