A Second Act
Former WNBA Star Chiney Ogwumike Is Winning At A Different Game
After nine years in the W, she traded her jersey for a mic.
Chiney Ogwumike is no stranger to the spotlight. The WNBA vet, now 34, was the all-time leading scorer at Stanford, the No. 1 draft pick, and, ultimately, Rookie of the Year all in 2014. During her nine years in the W, she was a two-time All-Star and played forward-center for both the Connecticut Sun and the Los Angeles Sparks. Then, in 2023, Ogwumike traded her jersey for the mic, becoming the first Black woman and WNBA veteran to host a national radio show for ESPN.
While catching up with Ogwumike at TOGETHXR House during WNBA All-Star Weekend, she made it clear that reinvention doesn’t necessarily mean starting over. In fact, she’s just as dynamic off the court as she was on it, where her ability to score, defend, and rebound made her one of the league’s most versatile players.
Today, that same multifaceted approach gives her an important perspective as an analyst; she understands the athletes inside and out. (It helps that she comes from a legendary sports family: Her older sister Nneka Ogwumike is an LA Sparks forward and 11-time All-Star.)
“We’re in a beautiful place now, and it’s not just about competing,” she tells Bustle. “[WNBA players] have platforms, we have social media, we have tunnel walks — we get to showcase who we are in so many different ways.”
Below, Ogwumike shares how she prepares for airtime, the Aveeno skin care staple she swears by, and why she believes there’s never been a better time to be a woman in sports.
What are your preshow rituals?
I call my mom every day, especially before big moments. Then I say the Serenity Prayer, which I used to say before games, too.
What’s your go-to skin care routine?
Taking my makeup off and moisturizing my body are nonnegotiable. You don’t want to be out there looking ashy. My body care includes African black soap, then I reach for Aveeno’s Cocoa Butter Vanilla lotion. As a Nigerian woman, shea and cocoa butter have always been part of my routine, and the vanilla scent in this formula is the perfect finishing touch. People are always telling me, “Girl, your legs are glowing!”
What’s the one thing in your makeup kit you always have before you go on air?
A good lip gloss — you can’t go wrong with Fenty’s glosses.
“They see you before they hear you, they judge you before they know you, but they sure as heck can’t stop you.”
What skills do you feel have translated from the court to radio?
Loving myself, the skin I’m in, and being proud. As an athlete, when you love yourself, you understand what makes you special. In the studio, I also focus on being myself while representing the generation of players who are currently playing, and celebrating how far women’s basketball has come.
Women in sports are subjected to a lot of comments about their looks. How do you feel about that?
I always tell players, “They see you before they hear you, they judge you before they know you, but they sure as heck can’t stop you.” While people might comment on how we play or how we look while we’re playing, [athletes nowadays are] at peace with just being competitors and showing what being a woman looks like in all forms — whether that’s playing gracefully with a full face of makeup, or being in beast mode with none on at all.
How do you express yourself on air?
With my style. Being on air, I get the opportunity to champion things not just with what I say, but with what I look like. I love wearing women-owned brands, African diasporic brands, and celebrating small businesses. There’s often an idea of what this profession is supposed to look like, and I get to set a new norm and show who I am authentically.
What’s your message for women who feel like they have to shrink themselves in any space?
Keep fighting. I know things aren’t easy, and I know our climate at times makes things feel divisive, but we are so much more alike than we are different. Be part of a sisterhood, and know that everyone can have a seat at the table — there are people fighting for you to have one, too.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
