Chiney Ogwumike has big plans after striking a new deal with ESPN that extends her stay there and is certain to expand her presence.
The 6′ 4″ Los Angeles Sparks forward is gearing up to start calling NBA games for ESPN, adding to her regular presence on “NBA Today” and “NBA Countdown.” She has many other duties, including a thriving career in the WNBA, where she was the first overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft from Stanford University, and the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year and a two-time WNBA All-Star. She is also the vice president of the WNBA Players Association.
“We don’t have many women analysts outside of Doris Burke calling NBA games on linear TV,” says Ogwumike, in an interview, adding: “That’s the next challenge for me. I’ve called women’s basketball games. I know how to call a basketball game, but I like to make sure to master my craft before I jump into another one.”
Ogwumike is one of a growing handful of athletes who are also adding their perspective and knowledge to game broadcasts. In January, Warner Bros. Discovery said it had enlisted Draymond Green, the three-time NBA All-Star and longtime member of the Golden State Warriors, in an unorthodox multi-year agreementthat calls for him to make appearances on TNT’s “Inside The NBA” and other parts of the company’s sports portfolio even as he continues as an active player.
“Chiney is an exceptional talent who continues to raise the bar of what a professional athlete and high-level broadcaster can be in simultaneous fashion,” says David Roberts, ESPN’s head of NBA and studio production. “We have the utmost confidence in Chiney and we’re proud of her continued evolution as an analyst and host.”
Oguwumike says she learned earlier in her career that she won’t be able to play at her best levels forever. When she played for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, she injured her knee, keeping her out for an entire season. During that time, she recalls, she tried her hand at sportscasting. “I said ‘yes’ to everything. I worked my butt off and always looked prepared and tried to have fun.” Her work eventually led to a radio show for ESPN alongside Mike Golic, Jr. — making her the first Black woman to host a national, daily sports-talk radio show — and then to more.
“You can only play for a certain amount of time, even though we all want to play until the wheels fall off,” she says.
She’s also eager to find ways to produce her own programming and tell stories of athletes who might not have gotten as much attention in the past. “There are a lot of women of color who deserve the spotlight and also young people who are doing amazing things,” she says. “I hold a unique position by being a current professional athlete in the WNBA and also a broadcaster ,and can bridge some of these opportunities.” Still, she adds, “I walk before I run.”
