Los Angeles Sparks star forward Nneka Ogwumike was re-elected as the president of the WNBA Players Association this week, making it the fourth term of her career. The 10-time All-Star has served in that capacity since 2016, and is regarded as a driving force behind some of the key wins in the new WNBA CBA. But for the Sparks and head coach Lynne Roberts, that leadership is on display each and every day.
And that leadership is needed in major way as the Sparks hit the road for a two-game trip with matchups against the Toronto Tempo and Indiana Fever. Both Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink are sidelined due to injury, leaving the team short-handed as they continue to search for consistency on the court.
Having a steady influence like Nneka Ogwumike in the Sparks locker room and on the court is something that Lynne Roberts doesn’t take for granted.
“I don’t know how else to say it but she just has such a presence to her and a gravity to her on the court and off. She’s just an absolute vet that knows what’s needed, knows what’s not and I think she really understands with KP out, that the onus of being that key guy falls on her,” Roberts said during her pregame press conference ahead of the team’s game against the Toronto Tempo on Friday.
“That’s not something she takes lightly or is dramatic about.”
Coming into the Sparks’ meeting against the Tempo, Ogwumike has been averaging 15.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 51.7 percent shooting from the field, 42 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 83.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
She’s coming off a vintage performance last weekend during the Sparks’ thrilling comeback win against the New York Liberty in which they battled back from a 17-point deficit. Ogwumike finished with a game-high 24 points, including the game-winning 3-point shot. She also added six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
But while her production on the court has been solid since returning to the franchise, it’s her calm demeanor that has helped the Sparks weather the storm despite an 8-8 start to the regular season.
“She just has a way about her that brings calm to everybody, but is a fierce competitor. I’ve never been around a player like her ever,” Roberts continued. “We lean on her and rely on her and there’s a lot of motivation for the rest of us to come through for her as well. She’s a huge part of what we’re doing and I’m seeing just a really motivated, driven, but under control peaceful vet in Nneka.”
But as much as the Roberts and the rest of the team hold Ogwumike in such high regard, the 15-year vet is among the most humble stars in the WNBA. She’s quick to give her teammates and coaches credit for wins.
Prior to the Liberty game, several former Sparks stars in Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Temecka Dixon heaped a ton of praise on Ogwumike for fighting for key provisions, including the retired player benefits, in the CBA.
Yet for Ogwumike, her selflessness always shines through. Her response to the older generation crediting her for the advances is a prime example of why Roberts continues to say she’s ’one-of-one.’
“I can’t take credit for. I was grateful to be in a position to utilize my privilege, to utilize my responsibility and to open myself up to the phenomenal women of this league, both past and present,” Ogwumike said following the Liberty game. “Theres’ a lot of details people don’t know about, there’s a lot of difficulty, a lot of really great internal wins that we celebrate amongst ourselves. But I think that’s the fabric that really etches the history that we’r all experiencing today.”
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