April 16, 2012
STANFORD, Calif. - Three-time All-American and two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year Nnemkadi Ogwumike was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft Monday by the Los Angeles Sparks. The selection made Ogwumike the first Stanford player to be taken first overall in the draft's history.
The highest any Stanford player had been taken in the draft prior to Monday was third. Jamila Wideman (Los Angeles Sparks, 1997), Nicole Powell (Charlotte Sting, 2004) and Candice Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx, 2008) all shared that honor.
Ogwumike becomes the 21st Stanford player to have her name called in the WNBA Draft and the 10th first-round pick in school history.
She will be Stanford's sixth active WNBA player, joining Powell (New York Liberty), Wiggins (Minnesota Lynx), Appel (San Antonio Silver Stars), Pedersen (Tulsa Shock) and Pohlen (Indiana Fever) in the league.
Ogwumike and the Sparks will feature in the WNBA's opening contest for the 2012 season, visiting the Seattle Storm on May 18.
Since 2008, Stanford boasts five first-round selections, matching Tennessee for the most of any school over that span. Candice Wiggins was taken third overall by the Minnesota Lynx in 2008, Jayne Appel was taken fifth by the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2010, and in 2011 Kayla Pedersen (seventh, Tulsa Shock) and Jeanette Pohlen (ninth, Indiana Fever) had their names called.
Ogwumike closed out one of the best four-year careers in Stanford history at her fourth-straight Final Four two weeks ago. She is one of just four Stanford players to accumulate both 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during her career. She ranks in Stanford's career top-five in field goals made (965 - first) and attempted (1,656 - second), points scored (2,491 - second), field-goal percentage (58.3 - second), rebounds (1,226 - third), scoring average (17.2 ppg - fourth), rebounding average (8.5 rpg - fourth) and free throws made (555 - second) and attempted (718 - first).
Ogwumike twice earned the conference's top honor, being named Pac-10 Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2010 and claiming the first Pac-12 Player of the Year award in 2012. She was thrice named to the WBCA Coaches' All-America Team (2010-12) while also earning three All-America nods from the Associated Press (Second Team from 2010-11, First Team in 2012). In 2011 and 2012, Ogwumike was named to both the USBWA and John R. Wooden Award All-America Teams.
Also a consensus national player of the year finalist, Ogwumike was named the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award winner at the Final Four in Denver.
Ogwumike was also a three-time Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player and was named NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player in each of the past three seasons: 2010 (Sacramento), 2011 (Spokane) and 2012 (Fresno).
She was a consensus first-team All-American as a senior this past season, setting Stanford single-season records with 809 points scored and 22.5 points per game. Ogwumike also grabbed 10.2 rebounds a game, becoming, along with younger sister Chiney Ogwumike (who averaged 15.0 points and 10.1 rebounds a game in 2011-12), the first Stanford players to average a double-double for a complete season since Nicole Powell averaged 20.2 points and 11.2 rebounds in 2003-04.
Overall during Ogwumike's four years at Stanford, the Cardinal went 137-12 (.919), won four Pac-12 regular-season and tournament titles and reached the Final Four every year (2009-12). Additionally, the Cardinal went 64-0 at Maples Pavilion and 82-1 (.988) against Pac-12 opponents.