Los Angeles Sparks Forward

Nneka OGWUMIKE team Los Angeles Sparks position Forward spotlight Nneka Ogwumike’s 2016 season (MVP! Game-winning Finals shot!) was one of the best ever. But it was nothing new for a star who excels at nearly everything she does. BY JEREMY FUCHS hen the Los Angeles Sparks were trailing the Minnesota Lynx 76–75 with 14.9 seconds left in the decisive game of the 2016 WNBA Finals, it was fitting SPARKS FLY Wthat Nneka Ogwumike would find herself Ogwumike set with a chance to win the whole thing. career highs in every major category and After all, she had received the league’s had the best single- MVP award after finishing the regular season season improvement with the second-highest field goal percentage in league history. ever (66.5), making a record 23 free throws in a row, and setting career highs in points (19.7), rebounds (9.1), and assists (3.1). Photograph by As the clock wound down against the Leon Bennett/ Lynx, Ogwumike grabbed an offensive Getty Images rebound, went up for a shot, had it blocked by 6'6" Minnesota center Sylvia Fowles, regained possession, then hit the shot over Fowles while falling away from the basket. “Just typical Nneka,” says Sparks coach Brian Agler. That fadeaway jumper with 3.1 seconds SIKIDS.COM / 19 left gave the Sparks their while. But she’s a worker, and she’s first title since 2002, very disciplined. She figured out CHALLENGERS capping off what Agler what she needed to do.” called “a season for the Ogwumike figured out what she FOR THE CROWN ages.” But it was a season needed to do in 2016, her fifth WNBA Nneka Ogwumike may have won last year’s MVP, but how long she had spent a lifetime season. Not only did she set career will her reign last? Below are three players who could compete working toward. highs in every major category, but she also had the single greatest with the Sparks’ forward for the WNBA’s top honor this season. EARLY TO RISE improvement from one WNBA season Every morning at their to the next, according to the analytical house in Tomball, Texas, website FiveThirtyEight.com. TINA CHARLES the Ogwumike sisters— “It was a phenomenal experience NEW YORK LIBERTY Nneka, Chiney, Olivia, and from start to finish,” says Ogwumike, The runner-up to Ogwumike for Erica—would wake up at “but in no way was it a dream to me. MVP in 2016, Charles led the four. Each sister had a WELL-ROUNDED It happened and continues to unfold league in points (21.5) and boards Ogwumike (30), who per game (9.9) to become the responsibility. finished third in the for me, my team, supporters, and Nneka was in charge of WNBA in rebounds, the game.” third player in history to win outfits. Every night, she takes great pride in scoring and rebounding titles in would create a sheet that giving back and trying to OFF-COURT PRESS the same year. Now in her eighth be what her parents call a season, the ’12 MVP is still looking listed the choices for Olivia That high school fund-raiser to benefit “complete person.” for the one thing missing from her and Erica, who were six Darfur is just one of the many ways sterling résumé: a championship. and seven years younger. Ogwumike has given back. Ify raised There would be options for all her daughters that way. T-shirts, dresses, and skirts. She graduated as the school’s “It’s always been important for me The youngest siblings second-all-time leading to reciprocate the support I received ELENA would circle what they scorer and led the Cardinal on my journey,” says Nneka. DELLE DONNE wanted to wear, and Nneka to four straight Final Four Nneka and Chiney work with WASHINGTON MYSTICS would lay it out for them. appearances. Still, she UNICEF to raise money for girls’ In one of the biggest swaps in “We did that up until remained humble and even education in Nigeria. Nneka was voted league history, the 2015 MVP was sixth grade,” says Olivia, oblivious to the president of the WNBA players’ union; traded from the Chicago Sky to who will be a junior opportunities her talent had Chiney was voted a vice president. the Mystics in the off-season. forward at Rice this fall. created. At the end of her And the sisters starred in an ad Delle Donne, who averaged “Then we said, We can senior year, she was being campaign called “Done,” in which the 21.5 points and 6.6 rebounds last figure out our own outfits.” mentioned as a potential two recite a slogan at the end: “Genders year, will now lead a rebuilding RANDY BELICE/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (ACTION); JUAN O’CAMPO/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (WITH KIDS) effort in D.C. The Mystics were Nneka is nothing if not a No. 1 pick. “She had no clue,” don’t play sports. Athletes do.” 13–21 last season. go-getter. “Things were says Olivia. Adds Erica, who “I feel I can lead by example,” always getting done,” Olivia will be a sophomore guard at Nneka says. “Be great and share says. In high school, Nneka was means my mother is still with me in Igbo, Rice, “She’s like, Should I try this?” greatness.” homecoming queen, class president, a a Nigerian language. (Her parents, The Sparks made Nneka the top As a kid, Erica watched Nneka at ELIZABETH model student, an All-America in Peter and Ify, are from Nigeria.) When pick of the 2012 draft, and she won Stanford and didn’t realize that her WILLIAMS volleyball, and the national Gatorade a bird flew into the house one day, it Rookie of the Year after averaging sister was a big star. She was just ATLANTA DREAM Player of the Year in basketball. She was Nneka who corralled the sisters 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds. Despite Nneka, big sis. That was by design. Williams is coming off a breakout also led a fund-raiser for children into a closet and played cards with continuing to improve each year, The Ogwumikes instilled in their year. She averaged 11.9 points, in war-ravaged Darfur. them so they wouldn’t get scared. however, Ogwumike wasn’t kids the idea of being a “complete 8.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks to Not that she was all business. When Nneka and Chiney were both considered a big-time star, and was person,” that there is more to life earn the Most Improved Player award. She will see an even bigger Nneka once broke a window while playing at Stanford, Nneka acted as a even left off the Rio Olympic team. than stats on a scoresheet. role this year, as Dream star Angel playing kickball; she would slide second coach to Chiney. “She started out at Stanford the “For Nneka, basketball is a tool to McCoughtry has said she will take down the staircase on a pile of books. “We’ve always been a team,” says same way,” Cardinal coach Tara give back,” says Erica. “Because of at least part of the year off. “She was wild!” Olivia says. Nneka of her sisters, “and always VanDerveer says, referring to the her platform, she really wants to Nneka has fun, but she’s also very will be.” 10.6 points Ogwumike averaged her utilize it to enact change that lasts motherly. Her first name, Nnemkadi, At Stanford, Nneka was a force. freshman year. “It takes her a little JUAN OCAMPO/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (CHARLES); NED DISHMAN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (DELLE DONNE); CHRIS COVATTA/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (WILLIAMS) longer than a game-winning shot.” n 20 / SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS SIKIDS.COM / 21.

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