Why Nneka Ogwumike should be a 2024 All-Star


Los Angeles Sparks v Seattle Storm
New team, same All-Star-worthy Nneka. | Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images

Nneka Ogwumike is taking the Seattle Storm to the next level as she remains an All-Star-caliber player.

This is Year 13 for Nneka Ogwumike, but in many ways, it’s Year 1.

This is the first time in her career that she isn’t a Los Angeles Spark, as she decided to leave in free agency and join the Seattle Storm. The move has worked wonders for Ogwumike. Her new team is currently in the top four in the league, while her previous one is in a full rebuilding phase and struggling to win.

On the court, Ogwumike has stayed elite, averaging 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. She can still get to her spots on the floor and is shooting 56.8 percent from the field—her third-best field goal percentage of her career and her best since 2020. From 3-point range, Ogwumike has also kept her attempts up at 1.6 per game and is executing at a 38 percent clip. With her continuing improvement from beyond the arc and staying elite near the rim, she’s been able to evolve with the league and maintain a case as one of the best bigs in the WNBA.

So many factors are involved in becoming an All-Star, from popularity to longevity to production. Ogwumike is a perfect candidate for all these factors. She’s one of the most well-known faces in the WNBA who has the consistency and track record, and this year, she wouldn’t just be a legacy vote-getter; her numbers stack up well against the league’s best. Ogwumike is 10th in points scored, 13th in rebounding and the ninth-best player in our WNBA Hoopers Hierarchy. Add all that up, and the only logical conclusion is that Ogwumike should earn her ninth All-Star appearance and her third in a row.

She may be known more as a Los Angeles Spark when it’s all said and done, but Ogwumike proves she still has plenty left in the tank. If she continues to play at this elite level alongside Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith, the Storm will have as good a chance as any at winning the championship. If Ogwumike does that, she’ll join a small list of players to win it all on multiple teams, including former teammate Candace Parker, who accomplished the feat late in her career. She left Los Angeles for Chicago and won there, before then ending her career in Las Vegas with another title in her final season.

By the looks of it, Ogwumike is far from done. Before she can win another WNBA trophy, however, she is likely to receive the announcement that she’s a 2024 WNBA All-Star.

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