Nneka Ogwumike Named to AP All-WNBA Second Team

Seattle Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike is back on the All-WNBA list, earning a spot on the Second Team after another season that looked anything but ordinary.

Ogwumike has been in the league since 2012. She’s 35 now. And yet, she just finished a year that most forwards in their twenties would be proud of. In 44 games, she averaged 18.3 points and 7 rebounds, hitting 51.9 percent from the field while adding a career-high 1.5 threes per game.

Seattle fans saw the difference. In early September against Golden State, Ogwumike dropped 22 points and pulled down six rebounds in a win that sealed the Storm’s playoff spot. Two weeks before, she steadied the team against New York with clutch mid-range buckets when the offense stalled. Night after night, it was the same story: when the Storm needed a lift, Ogwumike delivered.

Adjusting and Evolving

This isn’t the same player who once relied only on power around the rim. Ogwumike has reshaped her game over the years. First it was the mid-range jumper. Now it’s the three-point shot. She connected on 36.7 percent from deep this season, forcing defenses to step out and guard her all the way to the arc.

That change gave Seattle’s guards Skylar Diggins and rookie Brittney Sykes room to operate. It also showed her willingness to adapt. Plenty of stars plateau after a decade. Ogwumike keeps finding new ways to matter.

More Than Just Stats

Awards are nothing new for her. She was the 2016 league MVP, a WNBA champion, and a long-serving president of the players’ union. What makes this Second Team nod special is that it came more than a decade into her career.

Head coach Noelle Quinn has often pointed to Ogwumike’s voice in the locker room. Younger players follow her routines. Teammates watch how she carries herself in tough moments. For Seattle, her impact isn’t measured only in points and rebounds. It’s measured in confidence.

A Legacy Still Building

Every season, Ogwumike climbs higher on the league’s all-time lists. She’s now among the top scorers and rebounders of her era. Passing Swin Cash earlier this year in Seattle’s record book was just the latest milestone. At this point, her place in Springfield feels secure.

But make no mistake—this isn’t a farewell lap. Ogwumike is still producing at an All-WNBA level, still anchoring a playoff team, still showing the same drive that made her the No. 1 pick out of Stanford back in 2012.

What Comes Next

The Storm are building for the future, but Ogwumike is their foundation right now. With her on the floor, Seattle has balance. With her in the locker room, they have belief.

The Second Team honor is proof of what’s already obvious: even after 13 seasons, Nneka Ogwumike remains one of the toughest, most reliable players in the WNBA. And she’s not done adding to her story.