ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike envisions a sustainable future for women's sports

Chiney Ogwumike is ready for battle, whether shes on or off the court.

Over the course of Chineys multi-season run with the WNBA , shes accomplished remarkable feats, including Rookie of the Year and playing in two WNBA All-Star games.

A force on the court, Chiney took her extensive basketball knowledge to the screen in May 2018, when she signed a multi-year contract with ESPN as a basketball analyst.

Following a remarkable 2023 season with the Los Angeles Sparks during which, she averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 1 steal per game Chiney opted to focus on her bustling media career.

Last October, Chiney signed a four-year extension with ESPN, which made her the first woman broadcast personality to work full-time across NBA Countdown and WNBA Countdown.

This come in addition to her own Victorious-powered YouTube series The Chiney Show, which has over 10,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Meanwhile, Chineys sister, Nneka Ogwumike is going on her second season with the Seattle Storm, after having played with the Los Angeles Sparks from 2012 to 2023.

Nneka is also nearing a decade of serving as the president of the WNBA Players Association to which she was elected in 2016, and once again elected in 2019.

We catch up with Chiney over the phone as she is in New York City, as she is covering Game 6 of the NBA conference semifinals, during which the New York Knicks will face the Boston Celtics.

On the WNBA side, Chiney is also covering the New York Libertys season-opening game against the Las Vegas Aces.

Which much tact and skill both on-and-off the court, Chiney continues to keep the game on lock.

RELATED: WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson pens sweet note for Nike A'One kicks selling out insanely fast Youre originally from Cypress, Texas.

Im from Dallas! What are some of your fondest memories growing up in Texas? Oh! What high school did you go to? Plano Senior.

[Laughs] Oh my God, I cant stand you, bro! I lost my first state tournament to the Nash sisters [Kathleen and Kristen Nash] of Plano West Senior High School.

Well, Plano Senior and Plano West are actually sworn enemies.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

I loved growing up in Texas.

I grew up in a community in Cypress and it prepared me for the real world.

I went to public school and I initially went to private school and it was just one of the most diverse environments where I got to explore my passions.

I was a member of the civil rights club, I was student body president, I was going to state championships for basketball.

My mom worked for the school district and y dad always picked us up to go to games.

It was a little microcosm of the real world.

And the way Texas treats sports, its like a pro environment.

Youve built an illustrious career in both media and basketball.

Which environment would you say is higher pressure the court or the newsroom? The court...as a player, there was a lot of pressure because your value is that high to your staff.

Am I gonna be MVP? Am I gonna be an all-star ? But I found a higher purpose in medium, and we are all pushing to celebrate the time that we're inl.

As much as I love my experiences on the court, I'm really grateful to have the platforms that I have now in the moment that we're in.

Its hard to nail down a typical day in media.

We both know very well that no two days are the same.

But what does your routine usually consist of? Oh man, you are absolutely correct.

Ever since I stopped playing [basketball], hot yoga has been something that I love.

I do yoga in like 116 degrees, but so its like a challenging workout.

After that, I go home and I prepare for my shows.

Sometimes I'm on air as early as 5 a.m.

Sometimes, Im on air as early on the west coast as maybe 11 a.m., doing SportsCenter, doing NBA Today, doing First Take, and then after that, a WNBA game.

It's a pretty much a long day with multiple shows, a lot of preparation in between, and a lot of travel.

Right now, Im in the studio for WNBA, but I traveled a lot for women's college basketball on the road.

And now I'm here in New York.

So there's a lot of different travel, and typically at least three to four shows per day.

While youre currently focusing on media, your sister Nneka is still killing it on the court.

What are some things about her sportsmanship that inspire you? One thing that comes to mind when I think of my sister is the word that she always centers herself on is great.

She's carried a lot of responsibility, especially like during that period of 2020, the WNBA bubbles, social injustice, navigating the new collective bargaining agreement.

Seeing the toll it took on her while she still performed at the highest, I just aspire to have that type of poise.

And now, I'm excited.

I'm so proud of her to leave LA and go start a new home in Seattle.

Now I'm watching her, and I'm like, Oh my God, I can't control anything.

I'm not her teammate anymore, But I'm just very, very proud of all she's done, and how she's handled all the multiple responsibilities she's had.

Were in an exciting time for womens sports right now.

The WNBA has more eyes on them than ever before.

What do you think this means for the overall growth of womens sports? I always tell people that I feel like we're living our wildest dreams, and I never knew that I'd be a part of the moment especially in the position that I'm in right now, as someone in the media.

People are gravitating to [the WNBA] because it's fresh, even though our athletes have been amazing for decades, and legends of the game, and trailblazers.

This is a fresh perspective on hoops, new household names, new athletes with style and personality.

Women embody so much at the intersection of culture how we walk into games, the things that we advocate and fight for, the way that we compete, and knowing that every position matters.

You literally are making fans in real time.

Nothing is handed to us.

To me, it just shows that finally, the spotlight is where it has long been deserved, and I am so excited for the continued explosion.

Women's basketball has desperately needed this moment, and I feel like it's delivered in ways that even I thought were never expected.

So it's truly beautiful.

Who do you anticipate is going to really shine this season? I hate picking one.

I think everyone's going to shine.

I always tell people that the WNBA is like that iconic Whitney Houston song - [sings] Im every woman! If you like a unreal, badass hooper that we've seen in the likes of Steph Curry that can change the game, you're going to love Caitlin Clark .

If you want to see a cultural icon that will be walking carpets like the Met Gala, but also hanging with celebs, but also getting to a double-double, you're going to love Angel Reese .

If you're going to look for dominance and also authenticity for her community, youre going to love Aja Wilson .

Theres literally every type of person that you can follow, appreciate, and support.

That's the beauty of the WNBA you can find an icon of your liking just by watching games, and gravitating toward them.

Oftentimes, we find that the media likes to paint narratives.

Having been on both the court and in the newsroom, what advice would you give to players who are facing difficulty around the media and around online fans? Stay true to you.

Be authentic to yourself.

if I'm going to go all-in in what I believe in my passion, Im going to do it my way, because at the end of the day, no one can do you better than you.

The advice that I always give players and media members is to find what makes you special.

That is your superpower.

That's the gift that no one else [has].

Lean into that protect it at all costs.

Growing up, my parents always said, Chiney, you like to talk; You be talking; You love watching the news; Chiney, you care so much about your team.

And I just managed those aspects that were uniquely myself, and it changed my life.

What do you think success will look like during this season for the WNBA? Sustainability.

We've had a great foundation for years, and now the bar, based off of last year's successes, has been raised.

Now, were trying to show that our success is sustainable, that the viewership is growing, and that the marketing, attendance, and merchandise is flourishing.

This is not a fluke.

This is for real.

Youre in New York City this weekend for the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces opener.

Who you got? Dont do that to me! It's an amazing time to be in New York, because I'm actually going to go to the Knicks game too.

I'm just thinking about back-to-back games.

We've got Game 6 for the New York Knicks, and the next day we've got these Aces and the Liberty.

Who do I have? I have the liberty.

The Liberty has continuity.

It's the same team virtually that they're running back.

The Aces have a new team with Jewell Loyd, and Kelsey Plum left.

So I'm going to go with the Liberty.

They know their team, they know each other, and they've been connected.

RELATED: Steve Sarkisian's wife Loreal announces WNBA star as first new client after baby Fans can tune into Game 6 tonight at via ESPN at 8 p.m.

ET, and the Liberty vs.

Aces season opener on Saturday at 1 p.m.

ET via ABC.

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