Why the Seattle Storm's Nneka Ogwumike might be the most underrated WNBA All-Star

USA Today

6 days ago

Ogwumike's style of play isn't the flashiest. Her game is rooted in efficiency and her ability to score at all levels and defend multiple positions might fly under the radar. Although Ogwumike has the
When debates about the WNBA all-time greats take place across the airwaves or World Wide Web, one name is often omitted. Nneka Ogwumike, first with the Los Angeles Sparks and now the Seattle Storm, has been an enduring presence and will play in her 10th All-Star Game on Saturday in Indianapolis.
'(Nneka Ogwumike's) the most disrespected MVP in the history of our league," Storm teammate Skylar Diggins said after Ogwumike quietly passed Hall of Famer Tina Thompson for fourth place on the WNBA's all-time field-goal list on June 17. 'She's a first-ballot Hall of Famer.'
Ogwumike's style of play isn't the flashiest. Her game is rooted in efficiency and her ability to score at all levels and defend multiple positions might fly under the radar. Although Ogwumike has the respect of her peers on and off the court, her continued excellence doesn't always earn national hype or recognition. That used to bother Ogwumike. But as the 14-year veteran adds to her lengthy resume – which includes No. 1 overall pick, WNBA champion, Rookie of the Year, MVP, first-team All-WNBA and four-time WNBA All-Defensive First Team – Ogwumike is at a place where she isn't looking for validation.
"I've been through times where I would do my job, but I felt like because I'm not a squeaky wheel, a lot of people felt it's OK to overlook me and abuse my cooperativeness," Ogwumike said. "I had to get through that and allow myself not to be eaten up by these ideas that I'm not worthy or that I'm not great."
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Ogwumike was named All-Star starter for the fourth consecutive season and joins Sue Bird (13), Diana Taurasi (11), Tamika Catchings (10) and Brittney Griner (10) as the only players in WNBA history to receive 10 All-Star nods. Ogwumike said accomplishments like this one "hits me a little bit more when I see the company that I am surrounded by in whatever stats people throw at me."
"For her to continue to break records and be mentioned amongst the greats means she is herself a great," Storm head coach Noelle Quinn said. "She's greatness personified."
Longevity fuels records
As teammate Erica Wheeler gave Ogwumike her flowers for passing Sue Bird (6,803) and Cappie Pondexter (6,811) to move into seventh place on the WNBA's All-time scoring list on July 3 – "Every time we play, a record's being broken" – Ogwumike humbly interjected and sheepishly said: "I've been playing a long time.'
The Stanford alum was selected first overall in the 2012 WNBA draft by the Sparks and was named the Rookie of the Year. She led the Sparks to a WNBA title in 2016 alongside Candace Parker after picking up the league's MVP award, averaging a career-high 19.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and recording career-highs from the field (66.5%) and from 3 (61.5%). Her 73.7% true shooting percentage, which combines field-goal percentage, 3-point and free-throw percentages, set a record for the most efficient shooting performance across a season in the WNBA or NBA in 2016. That record stands nearly a decade later.
"I'm very grateful. I feel like I've been telling myself, 'You've been playing a long time. That's why people keep telling me that I broke this record,'" said Ogwumike, who currently also ranks eighth all-time in rebounds. "But I am still really grateful."
In celebration of the WNBA's 25th season in 2021, Ogwumike was named to The W25, a prestigious "collection of the 25 greatest and most influential players in WNBA history," announced by the league.
Following 12 season with the Sparks, Ogwumike signed with the Storm in 2024. In her 14th season in the league, Ogwumike is averaging 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists shooting 51.2% from the field through 22 games. Ogwumike was not only able to "find new life in Seattle," she once again made Seattle a desirable destination for free agents.
'I came (to Seattle) to play with Nneka,' said Diggins, who signed with the Storm in February 2024. 'What she does, you know, day in and day out – it's special. And you shouldn't take it for granted."
The 'voice of the players'
Ogwumike isn't nicknamed "Madam President" for nothing. Ogwumike has served as the president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) since 2016. As Terri Jackson, the WNBPA's executive director puts it, "Nneka is the voice of the players."
It's not a duty she takes lightly.
"We're a league full of women who understand what's most important," Ogwumike said in Prime Video's 2024 documentary "Power of the Dream," which highlights the WNBA's efforts in flipping a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia that was previously held by former Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler. (Ogwumike produced the film alongside Sue Bird, Tracee Ellis Ross and Dawn Porter.)
"There are so many things bigger than us that require our attention and require our advocacy and activism because we have the platform."
Ogwumike led the WNBA player's efforts to endorse Democrat Raphael Warnock in the 2020 special election after Loeffler, a Republican, made controversial comments viewed by many as anti-Black and anti-LGBTQ. Ogwumike, a three-time Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner, is now leading the league's players in collective bargaining agreement negotiations as the current contract expires at the end of the 2025 season.
"Her approach to her every day life is such a great example for us all," Quinn said of Ogwumike. "The way she leads, the way she communicates, the way she constantly puts others first. Her careers been that."
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Storm brewing at the 2025 All-Star Game
The Seattle Storm earned three All-Star selections – Ogwumike (starter), Diggins (reserve) and Gabby Williams (reserve) – tying the Indiana Fever for the most representatives in the league. Ogwumike and Diggins were drafted to Team Naphessa Collier, and Williams landed on Team Caitlin Clark in her first All-Star bid.
Ogwumike said she's "sick" about ending up on a different team than Williams, jokingly adding she's "not guarding" Williams.
Not only will Williams face off against her Storm teammates, she will also go against her college teammates. Williams played alongside Collier and Breanna Stewart at UConn.
"I'm just happy to be here. It's my first one," Williams said. "The only thing that makes me nervous is that I'm going to be a little lost puppy on the other team.
"It is going to be weird that I'm playing against my UConn teammates and my Seattle teammates. It's funny how that worked out."
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