Nneka Ogwumike, a nine-time All-Star and former league MVP, was one of many high free brokers available on the market heading into WNBA free company. The 2-way wing who final performed for the Seattle Storm can do all of it, and regardless of being 34 years outdated, she’s recent off some of the environment friendly seasons of her profession. On Friday night, Ogwumike introduced she was re-signing with the Storm — and he or she had her sister Chiney Ogwumike, a basketball analyst on ESPN, break the information dwell on tv.
“My reply simply acquired private in terms of winners of free company,’” Chiney stated on air. “She needs me to interrupt the information, so I’m gonna do it.”
It’s the second time Nneka has had her sister break her free company information — the primary being when she initially dedicated to the Storm final offseason.
This time, Ogwumike is recent off a season that was individually a large success — she averaged 16.7 factors on 51.1% taking pictures alongside 7.6 rebounds en path to her seventh All-WNBA Group choice.
However, the newly shaped Storm core of Ogwumike, Jewell Loyd, and Skylar Diggins-Smith didn’t end in the kind of sustained successful that many anticipated. Seattle completed the season with a 25-15 report and was swept by the Las Vegas Aces within the first spherical of the playoffs.
What to anticipate from the Seattle Storm in 2025
Final month, the Storm cored free agent ahead Gabby Williams, which in flip retains her in Seattle on a one-year supermax deal, until she requests a commerce. Additionally they traded Jewell Loyd to Las Vegas in a three-team commerce that landed them Li Yueru and the No. 2 decide from the Sparks (Loyd had reportedly requested a commerce after she alleged she confronted harassment and bullying by the Storm teaching employees — and after ESPN reported that the investigation concluded with none violations).
The Storm’s different massive free agent is Diggins-Smith, who averaged 15.1 factors and 6.4 assists final season. Whether or not or not she’s going to re-sign has but to be introduced — however Ogwumike’s re-signing signifies the franchise is seeking to win now, regardless of buying a lottery decide in final week’s commerce. That decide may very well be flipped for one more affect participant — or, Seattle could merely decide to throw a participant like Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles or USC’s Kiki Iriafen into the combination subsequent season.
In any case, Ogwumike stays one of many league’s elite two-way gamers at 34 years outdated, and regardless of an offseason of turmoil that included commerce requests and bullying allegations, she’ll return for one more season beneath head coach Noelle Quinn.
The best half? How she acquired to share the information with the remainder of the world.
