Chiney Ogwumike re-signs with Los Angeles Sparks

By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

Chiney Ogwumike re-signed with the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday.

The two-time WNBA All-Star enters her seventh season in the league and fourth with the Sparks.

“Chiney is a key returning veteran for the Sparks,” general manager Karen Bryant said. “We are grateful to have her continued leadership and frontcourt presence on our team.”

Los Angeles acquired Ogwumike before the 2019 season in a trade with Connecticut. She reunites with former Sun coach Curt Miller, who’s preparing for his first season coaching the Sparks.

“I am so happy to re-sign with the Sparks,” Ogwumike said. “The past two seasons here have been the hardest of my basketball career, but I am motivated and inspired for this season to mark a new chapter for the Sparks and me. Reuniting with Curt, the coach that helped me be an All-Star in 2018, who knows my fight and journey on the court, means the world to me.”

Ogwumike has averaged 11.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and one steal per game in her career. She was taken first in the 2014 draft by the Sun and won Rookie of the Year that season.

“I am excited to be reunited with Chiney here in Los Angeles,” Miller said. “Chiney is a highly productive and efficient player who also fits the culture that we want to establish in the locker room. She plays with a great motor and will provide valued energy to our team. Her offensive efficiency and defensive versatility will help us on both ends of the floor.”

Ogwumike’s sister, Nneka, is expected to also re-sign with the Sparks soon.

Off the court, Ogwumike recently signed a contract extension with ESPN, where she serves as a co-host of “NBA Today” and as an analyst on “NBA Countdown.”