Being a professional athlete is a significant commitment. Being a full-time national radio host is also a major commitment. Most people wouldn’t be able to find enough time in the day for both, but Chiney Ogwumike is determined to make it happen.
On Thursday, Ogwumike announced she signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Sparks, and plans to continue her full-time role with ESPN which includes co-hosting a national weekday radio show.
The 28-year-old WNBA star has been with ESPN for nearly six years, beginning as a part-time analyst in 2015 while rehabbing a knee injury. Even when she transitioned to full-time with the Worldwide Leader, most of her on-air contributions came during the WNBA offseason.
For many professional female basketball players, a second job is necessary because the compensation is low. It’s not uncommon for WNBA players to find jobs during the off-season, or play in another country where the pay is often more than in the United States. For Ogwumike, she quickly found a second career in sportscasting.
After opting out of the abbreviated 2020 WNBA season, Ogwumike joined Mike Golic Jr. for ESPN Radio’s new afternoon drive show from 4 – 7pm ET last summer. As she continues to establish herself as a prominent voice for ESPN, rejoining the WNBA won’t alter that. During the announcement, Ogwumike stated both jobs are understanding of her dual responsibilities, citing help from head coach Derek Fisher and ESPN SVP Dave Roberts.
“A lot of people say, especially when it comes to women, that we can’t have it all,” Ogwumike wrote. “But I’m trying to be living proof that we can, or at least, come as close as possible. I want to win a WNBA championship with my sister, and I want to keep pushing boundaries off the court.”
Those boundaries include breaking through as the first Black woman to host a national daily sports-talk radio show, and her ability to use that platform to discuss everything in the world of sports and beyond.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.