STANFORD, Calif. – Nneka Ogwumike is one of 16 finalists for the 2018 USA Basketball Women's World Cup Team.
Two-time defending gold medalists, the USA will compete in this year's FIBA World Cup, formerly the FIBA World Championship, from Sept. 22-30 in Tenerife, Spain.
Prior to arriving in the Canary Islands for the World Cup, the USA will play in a four-team, international tournament in Antibes, France, Sept. 15-17, against Canada, France and Senegal. The final 12-member USA World Cup Team will be selected by the USA Women's National Team Player Selection Committee prior to the start of the World Cup.
The USA began training on Sept. 3 in Columbia, South Carolina. After an intrasquad game on Sept. 5, the team earned two exhibition victories over Canada (74-68) on Sept. 8 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Japan (102-87) on Sept. 10 in Washington, D.C. Ogwumike had 22 points and 10 rebounds last night against Japan.
Ogwumike won a FIBA World Cup gold medal with the United States in Istanbul, Turkey in 2014, averaging 7.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game. She had her best performance at that event in a meeting with Angola, scoring 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds as the United States won by a record 75 points (119-44).
The 2016 WNBA MVP, Ogwumike recently concluded her seventh professional season with the Los Angeles Sparks in which she averaged 15.5 points on 52.5 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. She earned her fifth All-Star nod, but was unable to participate in the WNBA's summer showcase due to illness.
Ogwumike could join current Cardinal senior Alanna Smith in Spain. The 6-foot-4 Smith was named to Australia's roster for the FIBA World Cup in late August and is currently in France for a slate of six exhibitions before continuing on to Tenerife. Smith will be the sixth Stanford player to appear in a FIBA World Cup, joining Americans Jayne Appel (2010), Jennifer Azzi (1990, 1994, 1998), Sonja Henning (1990) and Ogwumike (2014) along with Enjoli Izidor, who played for Nigeria in 2006.