Who is Chiney Ogwumike and how is she related to NBA? All you need to know

Los Angeles Sparks star Chiney Ogwumike is slowly becoming a staple in NBA circles that fans will surely notice. She is currently a regular on two ESPN shows, namely, “NBA Today” and “NBA Countdown.”

An unfortunate injury in 2016 while playing for the Connecticut Sun opened doors that she did not seriously consider before. During her rehab, she ventured into the world of sportscasting.

Chiney Ogwumike, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2014 WNBA draft, proved to be a natural with her insights into basketball. She showed off her deep understanding of the game right in his first season as a basketball journalist.

Four years after trying her hand at sportscasting, she became the first black woman to host a national, daily sports radio show for ESPN. She worked with Mike Golic Jr. as a co-host of the radio show “Chiney & Golic Jr.”

The Stanford University alumna was one of the youngest members of the network's elite group of analysts. Her personality, experience, and basketball knowledge paved the way for her appearance on “NBA Today” and “NBA Countdown” as a studio analyst.

ESPN recently extended her contract and from being an in-studio analyst, the network will now ask her to call NBA games. Here’s what Chiney Ogwumike had to say about her new role via Variety:

“We don’t have many women analysts outside of Doris Burke calling NBA games on linear TV. 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.”

Chiney Ogwumike is only 30 years old, but it looks like sportscasting will be where she will hang her hat on in the future. After averaging 14.1 points and 7.5 rebounds in her first three WNBA seasons, those numbers have gone down. Over the last three seasons, she has only averaged 8.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest.

Her space in the sportscasting world looks set to grow bigger in the near future, particularly with the new extension.

---

Chiney Ogwumike joins Malika and Kendra Andrews as the emerging faces of Black women sportscasters covering the NBA

Chiney Ogwumike joins Malika and Kendra Andrews as the newest and most recognizable black women sportscasters. [photo: YouTube]

Cheryl Miller, Lisa Salters, Christy Winters Scott and Kara Lawson are just a few of the most renowned black women sportscasters who have covered the NBA. They have blazed a path for the breed of dynamic talent that’s emerging.

Leading the pack of these top-notch sportscasters are the sisters Malika and Kendra Andrews, and Chiney Ogwumike. Malika and Ogwumike are mainstays at “NBA Today,” while Kendra often joins the show while regularly writing for ESPN.com.

With their dedication, talent and growing experience, they’re expected to carry the torch for black women covering the NBA. Their presence and their voice should serve as inspiration for aspiring young sportscasters, regardless of color, to make their mark in and around the league.