Chiney Ogwumike named 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie team announced
Chiney Ogwumike of the Connecticut Sun is the recipient of the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year, the WNBA announced today. Ogwumike received 23 votes from a national panel of 38 sportswriters and broadcasters who voted for the award.
The Tulsa Shock’s Odyssey Sims finished second with 12 votes, Kayla McBride of the San Antonio Stars placed third with two votes, and the Atlanta Dream’s Shoni Schimmel finished fourth with one vote.
Chiney Ogwumike and her sister Nneka continue to make history, becoming the first pair of sisters to earn WNBA Rookie of the Year. The duo started the season in historic fashion when they became the second set of siblings ever selected with the top overall pick in an American professional sports draft. Nneka Ogwumike was drafted in 2012 by the Los Angeles Sparks and was named the 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year presented by Samsung. In July, the Ogwumikes also became the first sisters ever selected for the same WNBA All-Star Game.
A two-time WNBA Rookie of the Month presented by Samsung recipient, Ogwumike led all rookies in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and double-doubles (13), ranked second in scoring (15.5 ppg), and third in steals (1.2 spg). Overall, the first-year pro ranked second in the WNBA in offensive rebounds (123), tied for second in double-doubles, placed seventh in rebounding, and was 11th in scoring.
The Stanford product appeared in 31 games for the Sun this season, all in a starting role. Ogwumike scored in double digits in 28 of her 31 contests, while posting 10 or more rebounds in 13 games.
In her second game of the year, Ogwumike poured in 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 90-87 loss against the 2013 defending champion Minnesota Lynx. In the final month of the season, she posted back-to-back double-doubles, including a 24-point, 12-rebound performance in a victory over San Antonio on Aug. 1. Two days later, Ogwumike chipped in 23 points and 13 rebounds in a one-point loss to Los Angeles on Aug. 3.
In honor of being named the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year presented by Samsung, Ogwumike will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.
All Rookie Team
- Kayla McBride (San Antonio Stars)
- Chiney Ogwumike (Connecticut Sun)
- Odyssey Sims (Tulsa Shock)
- Bria Hartley (Washington Mystics)
- Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun)
The voting panel consisted of the WNBA’s 12 head coaches, each of whom voted for five players regardless of position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Ogwumike, Sims, and McBride garnered the maximum 11 votes. Hartley notched nine votes, while Thomas tallied seven.
