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Nneka Ogwumike’s Secret to Making Basketball History: “I Just Let Go”

PALMETTO, FLORIDA – AUGUST 28: Nneka Ogwumike #30 of the Los Angeles Sparks dribbles the ball during the first half against the Connecticut Sun at Feld Entertainment Center on August 28, 2020 in Palmetto, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Nneka Ogwumike’s 2016 WNBA season was one of the greatest individual performances in basketball history. Not only did she earn league MVP and hit the game winning shot in Game 5 to clinch the WNBA Championship for her Los Angeles Sparks, but she set an all-time record for true shooting percentage — a record that still stands for both the WNBA and the NBA. In an interview with Kelley O’Hara on the JWS podcast, Nneka reveals the secret to her 2016 success: “I just let go.”

 The oldest of four girls, Nneka grew up with Nigerian-American parents who highly valued education and versatility. The Ogwuimke sisters were encouraged to pursue a variety of extracurriculars to supplement their schooling, and at 11-years-old Nneka decided to give basketball a try. Luckily her embarrassment at showing up to her first practice in jean shorts didn’t prevent the determined youngster from displaying her non-stop hustle. While coaches quickly recognized her on-court potential, it wasn’t until later in her high school career that she realized just how many doors basketball could open, including a full-ride to Stanford University. As a young woman who dreamed of becoming a doctor, an invitation to one of the top academic institutions in the nation was an easy yes.

Nneka thrived at Stanford, embracing her identity as both a self-proclaimed “nerd” and an athlete. By the end of her freshman year she was starting every game, and by the end of her sophomore year she was recognized as one of the best college players in the U.S.

But strangely, even well into her senior year, as she led her team to a fourth consecutive Final Four, Nneka had no plans to go pro. Her plan had always been medical school, and a career in medicine made sense to her: challenging, rewarding, and lucrative. She couldn’t picture what a professional basketball career looked like, at least for a woman. All she’d heard about the WNBA was that they barely made a living. But after learning more about off-season, overseas opportunities and with much encouragement from her younger sister and Stanford teammate Chiney, Nneka entered the 2012 WNBA draft.

How long did she wait to hear her name? Not long at all. The once-reluctant draftee went number one overall to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Nneka quickly established herself in the league by earning 2012 Rookie of the Year honors. And after just a few more seasons of getting her footing against the big dogs, Nneka went off.

Nneka can point to the exact moment in her record-breaking 2016 season when she realized something special was brewing. In a mid-season game against Dallas, she went 12 for 12, scoring 32 points without missing a single shot (all while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing three assists).

When asked what changes she’d made in her training leading up to the 2016 season, Nneka tells O’Hara it was all mental. “I just let go,” she says, “That’s what I remember most about that year. Like, let me go out here and just have some fun.”

Her unencumbered mental state was on full display in the WNBA Finals. In what was arguably the most exciting Finals ever, the Sparks went toe-to-toe with a Minnesota Lynx squad in the midst of a dynasty, having won three of the last five titles, including the year before.

With her league MVP status painting the customary X on her back and leading to constant double teams, Nneka knew she had to go back to the basics.

“I was like alright, let’s take this back to 14-year-old Nneka,” she tells O’Hara, “I’m gonna be the garbage woman… If I can’t make a move I’m gonna get rebounds and I’m going to finish.”

With three seconds left in the winner-take-all Game 5, inside a packed Minnesota stadium, Nneka did exactly that. She grabbed an offensive rebound, got blocked on the putback but maintained possession, and nailed a second attempt while fading away to win the championship by one point.

The way she describes those final seconds to O’Hara encapsulates her entire approach to 2016: “That’s the quietest my mind has ever been.”

It’s one of many times the now WNBA Players Association President (aka “Madame President”) has tapped into a wisdom well beyond her years. This particular lesson: Once you’ve put in all the hard work, sometimes the best thing to do is quiet your mind, let go, and have some fun.

WNBA, Players Union Spar Over CBA Negotiations at All-Star Weekend

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to media at a 2025 press conference.
The current CBA between the WNBPA and the league expires at the end of October. (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images)

This year's All-Star action extends beyond the court, as more than 40 players — including All-Stars, executive committee members, and WNBPA representatives — met with the WNBA in Indianapolis on Thursday for the second CBA negotiations of 2025.

"I'm encouraged. I'm just so inspired by the amount of players that showed up, the engagement that was there," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike said after Thursday's session, which drew the largest turnout in union history.

"It was something that was very informative for me. First time being able to see and hear the wording from both sides," Chicago Sky star Angel Reese added. "I was really eager to know and understand what was going on."

With revenues booming, both players and the league are struggling to settle issues surrounding payouts, revenue sharing, and the salary caps ahead of the current CBA's October 31st expiration date.

"This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion," the WNBPA wrote in a statement following Thursday's meeting. "But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever."

While CBA negotiations continue, the union indicated that players are open to a work stoppage should they fail to reach a new deal by the end of this WNBA season.

Rookies Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen Hit the 2025 WNBA All-Star Court

Washington Mystics rookie All-Stars Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen chat during a 2025 WNBA game.
Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen will play in their first WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)

Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.

"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."

"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.

Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.

The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.

Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.

Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.

"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."

How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"

Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.

Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.

Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray Headline WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu lines up a shot during the 2023 WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest.
WNBA All-Star Sabrina Ionescu set the single-round 3-Point Contest record in 2023. (David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Even with Indiana Fever sharpshooter Caitlin Clark sidelined, Friday's 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge will heat up the Indianapolis competition before Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game tips off.

Single-round record holder Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) and reigning champion Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) headline the 3-Point Contest, with Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), and Clark-replacement Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever) rounding out the bill beyond the arc.

Gray will also be on hand to defend her 2024 Skills Challenge title, with Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm), and Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) looking to upend the Dream guard.

Players are shooting for more than just bragging rights in the Friday competitions, with Aflac boosting prize money for the second year in a row.

The insurance giant will award $60,000 to the 3-point Contest winner and $55,000 to the Skills Challenge champ, topping off the league's $2,575-per-player All-Star bonus check.

With big money on the line, both Gray and Ionescu are battling to become just the second WNBA player to win multiple 3-Point Contests, following in the footsteps of retired Sky guard and four-time event champion Allie Quigley.

How to watch the All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.

Minnesota Lynx-Fueled Team Collier Readies for WNBA All-Star Game

Minnesota Lynx All-Stars Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier celebrate a 2025 WNBA regular-season win.
2025 WNBA All-Star captain Napheesa Collier will play alongside her Lynx teammate, Courtney Williams. (Matt Krohn/Getty Images)

Team Collier is looking locked and loaded for Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, with captain Napheesa Collier heading up a roster stocked with talent from the league-leading Minnesota lineup.

The Lynx star will start the game alongside 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), and rookie phenom Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings).

Team Collier's bench showcases a balanced group of Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury), and Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks).

Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx) will also join the squad, replacing the injured Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), boosting the team's Minnesota contingent to three players.

Adding to the Lynx representatives is Minnesota manager Cheryl Reeve, who will serve as the squad's head coach following a first-of-its-kind draft-day swap between the Collier and fellow All-Star captain Caitlin Clark.

"I'm just glad people are understanding Phee's greatness," Reeve said about Collier before the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend. "There's nothing else you can say at this point."

With a steady front and backcourt presence, Team Collier has experience on their side as they take on a youth-heavy Team Clark on Saturday.

How to watch Team Collier at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

Team Collier and Team Clark will square off in the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday.

Live coverage of the game will air on ABC.

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