Sparks teammate Chiney Ogwumike defends her older sister over the snub, as the currently injured six-time All-Star has yet to play in the Olympics and is the only WNBA MVP to not make an Olympic ro…
LOS ANGELES — Team USA released its women’s basketball roster for the Tokyo Olympics, and again Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike was not on it. The six-time All-Star has yet to play in the Olympics and remains the only WNBA most valuable player to not make an Olympic roster. The currently injured 30-year-old Sparks forward was hoping to be a part of Team USA seeking its Olympic seventh consecutive gold medal. Ogwumike was not part of the gold-medal-winning team at the 2016 Rio Games, the same year she was named the WNBA MVP and helped lead the Sparks to the WNBA championship. Chiney Ogwumike, Nneka’s younger sister and Sparks teammate, sounded off on Twitter following the news, stating “it just doesn’t feel right.” She explained how her sister’s stacked résumé doesn’t align with the decision. The older Ogwumike has won two FIBA World Cup gold medals and led Team USA in scoring in 2020 while winning MVP in the most recent Olympic qualifying tournament, according to Chiney.
