WNBA star and ESPN basketball analyst Chiney Ogwumike has re-signed with the Los Angeles Sparks after spending her last three-plus seasons with L.A.
Ogwumike called the last two years the “hardest seasons” for her when announcing the signing on ESPN on Wednesday.
Drafted by the Connecticut Sun with the first overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, Ogwumike is a two-time All-Star. Her and her sisters, Nneka and Erica, have all played in the WNBA. Perhaps coincidentally (or not so much), her elder sister, Nneka, is expected to re-sign with the Sparks as well.
Despite the Tomball, TX native having a decorated career, it's been filled with its share of ups and downs. Following her Rookie of the Year campaign, Chiney missed the 2015 season with a fractured right knee. She would return the next season, playing excellently until an Achilles injury led to her missing the remainder of the 2016 season and the entire 2017 season.
The Sun would trade Ogwumike to the Sparks in 2019, though she would sit out for the entire 2020 season due to concerns about COVID. Injuries also continued to play a significant role in her extended absences, with the 6-foot-3 center devoting all of 2022 to getting to the root of her knee issues.
“You all know the peaks and valleys of basketball,” Ogwumike says. “But nonetheless, I'm grateful for this new chapter, to be back with L.A., reunited with my former coach, Curt Miller.
The WNBA has real momentum and I'm grateful to still be part of it.”
Miller, who coached Ogwumike for two seasons in Connecticut, left the Sun in 2022.
Follow Us
Subscribe