Chiney Ogwumike finally provided an answer to the current status of her basketball career at the 2024 NABJ Convention — well, at least sort of.
At the end of a panel speaking about the national coverage of women’s basketball, ESPN producer Demetrius Harris put Chiney on the spot and directly asked if she was retired from the WNBA.
“I’m 32, so I’d never say never, but what I realized is that when I came into the league, my goal was to be an All-Star, champion and MVP,” Chiney said. “I got All-Star. I did not get champion; that was my sister [Nneka Ogwumike], I didn’t get MVP, that was my sister [Nneka] … But then, around 2020, everything changed. For the first time, Black women in sports were seen — specifically in the WNBA — and I was in a position at ESPN to speak on it.”
Chiney joined ESPN in 2017 and is a frequently featured talent on shows like “SportsCenter,” “NBA Today,” “WNBA Today,” “Get Up” and “First Take.” She also achieved significant success as part of ESPN’s women’s basketball coverage team, alongside Elle Duncan and Andraya Carter.
Chiney was renowned at ESPN for her dual role as both an analyst and on-air talent in Los Angeles for the network. The studios, conveniently located across the street from Crypto.com Arena, were also where she played for the Los Angeles Sparks from 2019 to 2023 alongside Nneka. Chiney only played 10 games in 2023 — a fourth of the WNBA regular season — because she dealt with an Achilles injury. She also missed the 2017 season with an Achilles injury and the 2015 season with a knee injury.
As Nneka joined the Seattle Storm in the 2024 offseason — and the popularity of women’s basketball coverage increased — Chiney didn’t sign with another WNBA team, which led to the season-long question of whether she has retired.
Even after Chiney recalled her career arc at ESPN, Harris followed up about her retirement.
She responded that, as of now, she’s retired from the WNBA, but the option to “unretire” is also on the table.
Here at NABJ, Chiney Ogwumike, 32, said she is retired from the WNBA, but if she should one day “unretire,” that is also a possibility. pic.twitter.com/Ee4Vgx7PcA
— Rashad Milligan (@RashadMilligan) August 1, 2024
Chiney approved of rolling out‘s decision to post the statement on social media.
Chiney was the No. 1 pick of the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun out of Stanford University. She was an all-star in her rookie season in 2014 and 2018. She took home the honor of WNBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
In 2021, Nigerian American players Chiney, Nneka and Elizabeth Williams wanted to play for Nigeria in the Olympics but were denied by FIBA because of their previous long-time associations with USA Basketball and Chiney’s status as a Nigerian citizen.
