LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Sparks continue to march their way toward the post season winning 10 of their last 12 games and forward Nneka Ogwumike is a huge reason for that.
Ogwumike’s stellar all-around play was recently recognized when she was named the WNBA’s Player of the Month for July. She averaged 21.6 points and 9.8 rebounds on 46 percent shooting last month.
She was honored again this past week being named the WNBA Player of the Week averaging 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.
Those recent acknowledgements have certainly put her in the mix for league MVP, which Ogwumike won back in 2016, the same year the Sparks last won a championship.
Head coach Derek Fisher believes the 6-time All-Star has made a strong case for herself.
“Statistically, Ogwumike is in the top five in quite a few categories in terms of season averages: points, rebounds, she’s shooting a good percentage from the 3-point line, her team is continuing to slide up the standings…those are things that put you in the conversation,” Fisher recently told the Southern California News Group.
“She’s an MVP-caliber player; we know it, and we are fortunate to have her,” Fisher continued.
For Ogwumike, her impact goes beyond the box score or what she’s just doing offensively. She has become an elite defender being able to cover all five positions while establishing her leadership with this squad.
There is no doubt Ogwumike faces strong competition for MVP this year from Elena Della Donne, Liz Cambage, Jonquel Jones, and Natasha Howard (to name a few), all of whom have had great seasons for winning teams. However, if the Sparks continue to roll like they have been and Ogwumike keeps up this torrid stretch, it will be tough to keep her from hoisting that MVP trophy up again.
