Nneka Ogwumike proved to be an indispensable WNBA leader

Her given name, in the native tongue of the Igbo tribe from Nigeria, means “Mother is supreme.” As if her parents knew back in 1990 that she’d be a rock and a protector, they named her Nneka.  

At Stanford, she became known as the “Question Queen” for her curiosity about the why and her willingness to challenge authority. Now, her colleagues call her “Madam President,” the players union’s fearless leader who guided the league through some of the most challenging moments in the past seven or so years. 

And when it was all done, she took to social media, a place she scarcely ventures, and confirmed what had been reported and was already being celebrated: that behind Nneka Ogwumike, the players never wavered.

“We always told you we were going to stand on business,” she wrote, “and that’s what this looks like.”