Nneka Ogwumike Named 2014 WNBA All-Star Reserve
July 15, 2014 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Los Angeles Sparks News Release
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike was voted in by WNBA coaches as a Western Conference reserve for the 2014 Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star Game, making her second consecutive All-Star appearance in her three-year career, it was announced tonight by the WNBA.
Ogwumike, who will join teammate and 2013 WNBA MVP Candace Parker on the All-Star stage, will also join her sister, Chiney, as a reserve and together make history for the second time this year. Nneka and Chiney, who in April became only the second set of siblings ever selected with the top overall pick in an American professional sports draft, will again make history as the first pair of sisters ever selected to participate in the WNBA's All-Star event.
Joining Ogwumike as a reserve for the Western Conference are a pair of two-time WNBA champions from the Minnesota Lynx - Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen. Candice Dupree of the Phoenix Mercury, Glory Johnson of the Tulsa Shock and Danielle Robinson of the San Antonio Stars round out the West's lineup, as voted by WNBA coaches.
For the Eastern Conference, Chiney Ogwumike, Tina Charles of the New York Liberty, Jessica Breland of the Chicago Sky, and Erika de Souza of the Atlanta Dream will serve as frontcourt reserves. Katie Douglas of the Sun and Briann January of the Indiana Fever were both voted in as backcourt reserves.
The Ogwumike sisters are two of nine former No. 1 overall draft selections on this year's All-Star rosters. The others include starters Diana Taurasi (2004, by Phoenix), Candace Parker (2008, Los Angeles), Angel McCoughtry (2009, Atlanta), Maya Moore (2011, Minnesota), and Brittney Griner (2013, Phoenix), as well as fellow reserves Augustus (2006, Minnesota) and Charles (2010, Connecticut).
Reserves were chosen by the league's 12 head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team and selected reserves by voting for six players within their own conference, including two guards, three frontcourt players, and one player regardless of position.
Following are the reserve s selected for Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star 2014:
Eastern Conference Reserves: Western Conference Reserves:
Jessica Breland, Frontcourt (Chicago Sky) Seimone Augustus, Backcourt (Minnesota Lynx)
Tina Charles, Frontcourt (New York Liberty) Candice Dupree, Frontcourt (Phoenix Mercury)
Erika de Souza, Frontcourt (Atlanta Dream) Glory Johnson, Frontcourt (Tulsa Shock)
Katie Douglas, Backcourt (Connecticut Sun) Nneka Ogwumike, Frontcourt (Los Angeles Sparks)
Briann January, Backcourt (Indiana Fever) Danielle Robinson, Backcourt (San Antonio Stars)
Chiney Ogwumike, Frontcourt (Connecticut Sun) Lindsay Whalen, Backcourt (Minnesota Lynx)
Under WNBA guidelines, the coach of the previous season's conference champion serves as the All-Star coach for that conference, provided that the coach remains in the same position. Since Fred Williams - head coach of the 2013 Eastern Conference champion Atlanta Dream - is now at the helm in Tulsa, the East head coach - Atlanta's Michael Cooper - was selected based on the club with the best winning percentage through games on June 29. Cooper earned the honor after guiding his club to an 11-4 mark (.733) at that point in the season. Minnesota Head Coach Cheryl Reeve, who guided the Lynx to the 2013 WNBA title, will lead the West squad.
Boost Mobile WNBA All-Star 2014 will take place at US Airways Center in Phoenix on Saturday, July 19, and will be nationally televised on ESPN, with tip-off at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT).
The Sparks next home game is Thursday, July 17 vs. Washington Mystics at 7:30 p.m. Individual and group tickets are available now by calling 877-44-SPARKS (772757) or visiting LASparks.com.
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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from July 15, 2014
- Atlanta Dream's Erika De Souza Named to WNBA All-Star Team - Atlanta Dream
- Katie Douglas and Chiney Ogwumike Named to 2014 Eastern Conference All-Star Team - Connecticut Sun
- Jessica Breland to Make WNBA All-Star Debut as Eastern Conference Reserve - Chicago Sky
- Shock Forward Glory Johnson Named to the 2014 Western Conference All-Star Team - Tulsa Shock
- Nneka Ogwumike Named 2014 WNBA All-Star Reserve - Los Angeles Sparks
- Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen Named All-Star Reserves - Minnesota Lynx
- New York Liberty Center Tina Charles Selected to 2014 WNBA All-Star Game - New York Liberty
- Sisters Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike Headline Reserves for WNBA's All-Star 2014 - WNBA
- Atlanta Dream Names Maureen Brown Chief Operating Officer - Atlanta Dream
- Lynx Hosting Annual "Camp Day" on July 16 - Minnesota Lynx
- Chicago Sky and USAgain Partner for Go Green WNBA Game - Chicago Sky
- Atlanta Dream Rookie Shoni Schimmel Has WNBA's Top-Selling Jersey - Atlanta Dream
- WNBA Rookie Shoni Schimmel Shines with Most Popular Jersey - WNBA
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