Nneka Ogwumike sealed the Los Angeles Sparks’ 85-83 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, sinking the putback after her own missed shot to give her side the lead with eight seconds left on the clock.

Ogwumike finished the night with 16 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Liz Cambage added 15 points and three rebounds to the Sparks’ tally.

Chennedy Carter led all scorers in her first start with Los Angeles, notching an impressive 20 points behind 53.3 percent shooting, six rebounds and four assists.

Kayla McBride led the Lynx with 19 points, while Sylvia Fowles and Aerial Powers each added 15 points for Minnesota.

The Sparks, however, were able to hold off Minnesota down the stretch to improve to 4-6 on the season as the Lynx fell to 1-7.

 

Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike spearheaded the WNBA’s landmark collective bargaining agreement in 2020 as president of the WNBA Players Association. Two years later, she’s continuing to push for gender equity, and believes the CBA was just the beginning for the WNBA.

Speaking with Just Women’s Sports as the news broke of the WNBA’s historic $75 million capital raise, Ogwumike had the league’s future on her mind.

“I am excited that we were able to come this far from starting with a new monumental CBA and then, of course for the players, investment means that we will be provided more resources and hopefully be playing in a league that is so much better than when we entered it,” Ogwumike tells JWS. “It will be interesting to see how it directly affects the players, and I look forward to any organization that is here to support women’s sports.”

The milestone investment includes the backing of more than two dozen investors ahead of the WNBA’s 26th season. With the announcement came renewed questions about player salaries, amenities such as travel and league expansion. The WNBA currently has 12 teams and an increasingly restrictive 144 roster spots.

Ogwumike says that her ideal timeline for WNBA expansion was “yesterday.”

“I think that it needs to happen, and we need to ensure that the teams that are here are here to stay. We can’t continue to see teams bounce around, we can’t continue to have dispersal drafts,” she says. “It’s important for us to reimagine the business in a way that is for sustainability and that is for longevity and for growth.”

The 31-year-old adds that she is energized by the “fervor around the conversation,” which speaks to “a league that is growing and finding its footing finally in a way that is very hopeful for everyone.”

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(Courtesy of adidas)

It’s difficult to imagine the WNBA would be in the promising place it is today without the 2020 CBA, which Ogwumike helped negotiate for years in her role with the WNBPA. The agreement raised the maximum salary to $215,000 per year, with players eligible to make up to $500,000 annually between league marketing agreements, additional incentives and mid-season tournament cash prizes. Fully paid maternity leave, a childcare stipend and housing assistance were also included in the league’s overhaul.

“The journey was way more rewarding than anything else because I really got to get to know the players. I got to understand the intricacies of the business, especially as we look to sustain a business model,” Ogwumike says of the negotiating process. “I also learned so much about how much of a say athletes and players do have. It seemingly isn’t so at times when things don’t necessarily go your way.”

Ogwumike, a 10-year WNBA veteran and the 2016 league MVP, admits the CBA ratification exposed her to various experiences and viewpoints she hadn’t previously considered. That helped develop “a robust representation in our executive committee and our Players Association,” Ogwumike says, “because we’ve empowered each other to express how we feel, to make space for people and their own experience and contribute that to the greater good.”

Her efforts not only altered the fabric of the WNBA, but also provided a blueprint for other women’s professional leagues. The NWSL, after many months of tense negotiations, ratified the league’s first-ever CBA on Jan. 31 in an agreement with the NWSL Players Association.

The Sparks forward says that she had conversations with NWSL players during the WNBA’s talks, offering them guidance on the negotiating process and what to look out for when executing a CBA of their own.

“I realized … having players from other leagues contact us and ask our opinion and our advisement is exactly what we’re doing it for,” Ogwumike says. “If we hadn’t fought and signed our CBA, there wouldn’t even be any framework for other leagues to figure out how they can do it themselves.

“We are all women looking to live in a world where we can work in equity, and we can have careers where resources and our value are a priority.”

On top of inspiring other women in sport, the WNBA’s CBA also emboldened women across industries. While Ogwumike wasn’t aware of its widespread impact at the time, she says the WNBPA was intentional with “[moving] the starting line” for those who come next.

“What really surprised me was that there were women in what you would describe as conventional careers — not necessarily in sport and entertainment — that sought things that we had implemented in our CBA,” she says. “That was a pleasant surprise for me, and I was really happy that we were able to represent those who may not have had the opportunity so far to do it for themselves.”

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(Courtesy of adidas)

Ogwumike’s intersectional approach to pay and resource equity translates into her participation in the Impossible is Nothing campaign with adidas, which seeks to empower and support women in sport by spotlighting athletes, launching new innovations and sustaining grassroots programs.

“Impossible is Nothing is all about being a brand that is an ally for established women and upcoming women and non-binary athletes and people who are kind of paving their own path in possibilities in sport,” Ogwumike says. “I certainly wanted to be a part of it because there is so much that is changing for us as women in sport that just has to be out there … I might be someone they are seeing that they haven’t seen before doing what I do.”

What the Ogwumike really appreciates about her partnership with the brand, and what she says adidas is better at than anyone else, is the intersection of basketball, sport, culture, music and fashion.

Impossible is Nothing’s holistic approach has exposed Ogwumike to athletes and creators she says she wouldn’t have normally encountered. In January, for example, she sat on a panel with Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema, UK-based model Ellie Goldstein and basketball player and activist Asma Elbadawi.

“I think we are so focused on learning and respecting each other’s difference, but we are the same in so many ways. That’s something that contributes to forward movement, and that’s definitely something we have realized in the WNBA,” Ogwumike says. “Our differences are what make us the league and the W, but our similarities are what pushes us forward in that and the celebration of us having common ground.”

When it comes to that fight, pay equity is at the center of the conversation. While the 2020 CBA has certainly improved the WNBA’s playing conditions, compensation remains an issue. For Ogwumike, the solution is straightforward: pay women more.

“I think it’s interesting when pay equity people start acting like its rocket science when it exists just not mostly for women,” she says. “So there’s nothing different that needs to happen. You just need to do it for a different type of people.”

Clare Brennan is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Nneka Ogwumike and Modern Fertility are partnering up to give all WNBA players the opportunity to take a hormone test and receive fertility support.

“As President of the league’s player’s association, I’m offering every single WNBA player a Modern Fertility Hormone Test, so we can all understand our fertility on our own terms and make the best decisions for ourselves,” Ogwumike, a forward with the Los Angeles Sparks, wrote in an announcement on Instagram.

“As athletes, the conversation has changed,” Ogwumike continued in a video. “It just kind of started and ended with, you’ll have your kids when you’re done. And that’s never sat well with me, especially as women who perform at such high levels. The opportunity to be able to share a resource and having the Modern Fertility tests available to all of these players, it just aligned perfectly.”

The tests can be done at home or at a lab — in the video, Ogwumike is seen taking the test at home — and will provide personalized reports as well as additional consultations with fertility nurses.

“We talk a lot about how proactive fertility information is so important,” said Afton Vechery, co-founder and CEO of Modern Fertility. “And now we’re starting to delay families in favor of our careers, our personal lives, our hobbies, but that’s arguably even more of a concern for pro athletes where quite literally all pro athletes rely on their bodies for their career to do their jobs.

“WNBA players, we are so excited to welcome each and every one of you to the Modern Fertility community.”

Nneka Ogwumike is the 2021 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner for the third consecutive year, the WNBA announced Sunday.

Ogwumike is the only player to have won the award in three consecutive years.

The WNBPA president earned 19 out of 49 votes. Coming in second was the Atlanta Dream’s Elizabeth Williams who received eight votes.

According to the WNBA, the award is presented to a player who “exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity.”

As president of the WNBPA, Ogwumike played an instrumental role in negotiating the league’s newest Collective Bargaining Agreement. She also helped lead much of the league’s social justice efforts.

This season, the 2016 WNBA MVP led the Sparks with 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 1 games.

Nneka Ogwumike has been named one of the WNBA’s Top 25 players of all time. The list was voted on by a panel of media, coaches and women’s basketball pioneers and advocates.

In response, the 2016 WNBA MVP said she was “so grateful.”

“I am so grateful to have my name listed amongst past and present legends who’ve pioneered the W over these amazing 25 years,” said Ogwumike in a release. “As an athlete on the court, I’m proud of my career and hope to continue to leave a legacy of greatness. What I’ve been able to contribute to the game along with the phenomenal women of this league through generations is one of my greatest accomplishments. Being recognized for any impact I’ve made is a true honor.”

The honor comes after Ogwumike made headlines prior to the Olympics when she was left off the U.S. Olympic team and then denied an exemption to play for Nigeria in Tokyo. She’s made herself known in her return after the Olympic break, even nearing a triple-double in her second game back.

The Los Angeles Sparks surged to a thrilling 85-80 OT victory over the Atlanta Dream Tuesday night, winning their second game in a row.

In her second game back with the Sparks, Nneka Ogwumike dropped 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, shooting 85.7 percent from the field.

But Kristi Toliver proved to be the hero, sending the matchup to overtime with a turnaround jumper at the buzzer.

After the game, Toliver told reporters she relishes being put in high-pressure situations on the court.

“A big moment in the game was on the line, that’s always my favorite time so I’m glad I was able to deliver.”

Next up: The Dream will have an opportunity to redeem themselves when the two teams play again on Thursday.

The WTA is returning to Cincinnati this week for one final tuneup before the U.S. Open.

The lineup features five major champions among the top eight, including world No. 1 Ash Barty and world No. 2 Naomi Osaka.

On Saturday, Osaka announced she would be donating all of her prize money to relief in Haiti after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the country.

Coco Gauff is the youngest player in the draw at 17 years old. She could meet Osaka in the second round. It would be the first meeting between the two since Gauff defeated Osaka at the 2020 Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka returns as the defending champion and could meet Barty in the third round.

Tokyo gold medalist Belinda Bencic is set for a rematch with her Olympic finals opponent Marketa Vondrousova in the first round.

The main draw begins Monday, Aug. 16 with the singles final set to be played Sunday, Aug. 22.

Nneka Ogwumike is still shocked that she’s not in Tokyo right now.

Whether it be competing for the United States or Nigeria, the former WNBA MVP asserts that she “never thought I’d be in this position.”

After USA Basketball controversially passed her over in picking their Olympic roster, Ogwumike largely remained silent but nonetheless pushed forward. She petitioned to play for Nigeria, only to be denied by FIBA and the CAS.

“I haven’t been public at all with my thoughts,” she told ESPN. “I’m not going to lie, it’s been an emotional month — a lot of crying, a lot of just wanting to be alone. But in the midst of all that, it’s amazing to see how many people support me.”

As one of eight core players for USA Basketball in 2019-20, Ogwumike led the team in scoring and was the MVP of the FIBA women’s qualifying tournament. It seemed as though she was a lock for the Olympic team.

But then she suffered a minor knee injury in a game on June 1. At that time, she was reassured by women’s national team director Carol Callan that both her and Diana Taurasi — who has yet to return from injury — wouldn’t be hindered by their injuries in the decision making.

“Carol was like, ‘Oh, well you and Diana [Taurasi] will be fresh,” Ogwumike said.

But then the roster was released, and Ogwumike wasn’t on it. When Callan called her with the decision, Ogwumike told ESPN she was stunned.

“She said that the committee, they weren’t sure about my injury and that they wanted to go with a younger, more versatile player,” Ogwumike says. “That was the reasoning that they gave me over the phone.”

Based on the communication Los Angeles Sparks trainer Courtney Watson had with USA Basketball about Ogwumike’s process, the reasoning didn’t add up.

“It almost felt as though that excuse was now attacking the integrity of my care,” she said. “Like, if [she’s] not on the team, is she more hurt than we think she is?’

“But I was very transparent with what happened and my prognosis. Courtney communicated with them… I just think there was a lot of backtracking once the decision was made.”

For now, Ogwumike is focused on Nigeria moving forward. She hopes that eventually her appeal to the CAS will move forward and that soon she will be able to play for the country for which she holds dual-citizenship.

“There’s just so many prominent Africans and Nigerians that are doing some really great things,” she said. “If I can help break the ceiling, then I think that we can see the true mission of what we all play for: to move forward. Sports move us forward.”

She finished by saying that the hard work she has put in up until this point “is going to show for something… And if it means going in another direction — that’s what it means.”

Nneka Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams will not be going to Tokyo. 

The two basketball player’s appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport were rejected Monday, maintaining FIBA’s initial ruling. Due to both players’ previous participation in USA Basketball, they were subsequently denied their petition to play for Nigeria in the Olympics even with USA Basketball’s approval. 

“FIBA acknowledges today’s decision of the Court Arbitration of Sport (CAS) to reject the request for provisional measures,” the basketball organization posted on its website.

Additionally, according to FIBA, the pair were not on Nigeria’s roster submitted for the Tokyo Games. 

They had appealed under the motion that their involvement would help grow the game of basketball in Nigeria, something which is within the best interests of FIBA.

“Allow them the opportunity to help grow the game,” Nigerian coach Otis Hughley Jr. said on Sunday. “That continent would just be turned on its head for basketball, in a good way. You have no idea how many lives would be impacted and changed for the ages.”

Ogwumike’s sister, Chiney, had also appealed to have her status changed from a naturalized player to Nigerian. That appeal was also denied by the CAS.

Nneka Ogwumike’s petition to play for her native Nigeria in the Tokyo Olympics has been denied.

According to ESPN, sources have said that the denial is due to Ogwumike’s “substantial involvement” of more than 10 years with Team USA.

The Nigerian Basketball Federation filed an appeal to FIBA on behalf of Ogwumike and Elizabeth Williams, who was also denied due to her previous involvement with Team USA.

Both Ogwumike and Williams were given consent by USA Basketball to play for Nigeria and paid an administrative fee of $10,000. Both hold Nigerian passports.

Ogwumike is also reportedly exploring her options, including a possible application to the Court of Arbitration in Sport. She originally pursued playing for Nigeria after being snubbed for Team USA and was hoping to play with sisters Chiney and Erica in Tokyo.