Storm, 9-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike agree to 1-year deal
Feb 1, 2025, 10:50 AM

Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm reacts after a basket during a 2024 game. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Nine-time WNBA All-Star Nneka Ogwumike has agreed to return to the Seattle Storm on a one-year contract, Ogwumike’s sister and ESPN WNBA analyst Chiney Ogwumike reported Friday on “Sports Center.”
The news comes just days after Seattle was a part of a blockbuster three-team trade that sent star guard Jewell Loyd to the Las Vegas Aces and netted the Storm the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the Aces’ first-round pick in 2026 and forward Li Yueru from the Los Angeles Sparks. Former UW Huskies star Kelsey Plum also moved from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, and the Storm sent the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 draft and their second-round pick in 2026 to the Sparks in the deal.
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Nneka Ogwumike returns to Seattle after a standout season in her debut with the Storm. The 34-year-old forward averaged 16.7 points while 51.1% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc, and added 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. She led the team in steals and was second in scoring and rebounding.
Ogwumike’s efforts earned her an All-Star nod, second-team All-WNBA and All-Defensive team honors and a seventh-place finish in MVP voting.
With Ogwumike in the fold alongside Loyd, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Gabby Williams and Ezi Magbegor last season, the Storm finished in the league at 25-15 before falling to the Aces 2-0 in a best-of-three series in the first round of the playoffs.
The Stanford product spent her previous 12 seasons with the Sparks. She was Rookie of the Year after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 and won the MVP award in 2016.
Over 12 WNBA seasons, Ogwumike is averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals. She’s made seven All-WNBA teams, seven All-Defensive teams and has seven top-10 finishes in MVP voting.
The Storm open their season May 17 at the Phoenix Mercury and play their home opener May 23 against Phoenix.
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