Chiney Ogwumike

Chiney Ogwumike is a prominent figure in the world of women's basketball and sports media. The 6'4" forward of Nigerian descent has showcased her exceptional talent both on the court as a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player for the Los Angeles Sparks and off the court as a versatile ESPN commentator.

A standout athlete, Ogwumike's basketball journey began at Stanford University, where she led the team to three Final Fours and distinguished herself as a three-time First Team All-American, two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, and three-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Her achievements included being a four-time All-Pac 12 First Team member and a finalist for multiple national Player of the Year awards. The John R. Wooden Award winner also captured a gold medal with USA Basketball at the FIBA 3x3 World Championships in August 2012 and earned a gold medal with the USA Basketball World University Games team in 2011.

As the top pick of the Connecticut Sun in the 2014 WNBA Draft, Chiney and her sister Nneka made history, joining Peyton and Eli Manning as the only siblings ever selected number one overall in a professional sports league. In her debut year, Ogwumike was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team and was the WNBA Rookie of the Year. Recognized for her prowess on the court, she earned herself the title of WNBA All-Star twice. Despite a knee injury in 2015 that forced her to miss an entire season, she was named the 2016 AP Comeback Player of the Year. In 2018, she scored a career-high of 30 points in a game against the Seattle Storm.

A member of the Los Angeles Sparks, Ogwumike became the first Black woman and the first WNBA player to host a national radio show for ESPN in 2020. She was one of the first and youngest commentators ever to be named an NBA analyst for the network covering the NBA, WNBA, and a variety of sports while simultaneously playing in the WNBA. That same year, Forbes named her to their 30 under 30 list.