Nneka Ogwumike, a nine-time All-Star and former league MVP, was one of many prime 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 The 2-way wing who final performed for the Seattle Storm can do all of it, and regardless of being 34 years outdated, she’s contemporary off one of the environment friendly seasons of her profession. On Friday night, Ogwumike introduced she was re-signing with the Storm — and she or he had her sister Chiney Ogwumike, a basketball analyst on ESPN, break the information stay on tv.
“My reply simply acquired private with regards to 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 contemporary off a season that was individually an enormous success — she averaged 16.7 factors on 51.1% taking pictures alongside 7.6 rebounds en path to her seventh All-WNBA Workforce choice.
However, the newly fashioned Storm core of Ogwumike, Jewell Loyd, and Skylar Diggins-Smith didn’t end in the kind of sustained profitable that many anticipated. Seattle completed the season with a 25-15 file 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. In addition 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 large 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 trying to win now, regardless of buying a lottery decide in final week’s commerce. That decide might be flipped for an additional impression participant — or, Seattle could merely choose to throw a participant like Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles or USC’s Kiki Iriafen into the combo 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 an additional season below head coach Noelle Quinn.
The best half? How she acquired to share the information with the remainder of the world.
