Nneka Ogwumike’s Olympic snub sparks outrage among players, coaches

Nneka Ogwumike was one of the biggest names left off the women’s USA Basketball Olympic roster, and many coaches and players weren’t happy about it.

As the roster for the USA women’s basketball team for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics was released, there was a big name that didn’t make the cut — Nneka Ogwumike.

Ogwumike is one of the top talents in the WNBA, a former league MVP, and is having a season where she’s averaging 16.4 points while making a career-high 58.6 percent of her shots. Her absence from the Olympic roster is a head-scratcher for many reasons.

She is the first former WNBA MVP not selected to an Olympic roster. Ogwumike’s absence from the depth chart sparked outrage from players and coaches in the college and professional ranks.

Candace Parker, Derek Fisher, and more react to Nneka Ogwumike’s Team USA roster snub

The news of Nneka Ogwumike being left off the Olympic roster wasn’t received well by her peers. Her coach, Derek Fisher, didn’t mince words when discussing his player not making the team, saying that he was “pissed” when he learned of his star player failing to make the cut.

“She earned it and deserves it…there’s no way you can tell me you put a team together and leave Nneka off of it and try to say that it makes sense and that it adds up because it doesn’t,” Fisher said, according to Just Women Sports.

Ogwumike’s coach wasn’t the only one to defend her. Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker also spoke out about the roster snub. Parker and Ogwumike played together for nine seasons on the Sparks, winning a championship in 2016. The two-time MVP kept it blunt when discussing her former teammate not making the USA roster.

“How many times are we going to say it’s unfair…It sucks. She the only MVP not to make an Olympic team which is b——t,” Parker said after her game Tuesday.

University of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who is the coach of the USA Women’s Basketball team, also chimed in, telling the Associated Press that it “breaks my heart that Nneka isn’t on this team.”

“She’s been a great voice in our training camp and practices. We’re going to definitely miss Nneka,” Staley said, per AP News.

Nneka Ogwumike being left off the Olympic roster is borderline ludicrous given her skill and the work she’s put in. She’s attended every Team USA camp the past five years; she’s a proven leader on and off the court. She even helped the team qualify for the Olympics by dominating during the qualifying tournament in September 2020. The six-time All-Star has yet to comment on her snub, but she might not have to because many of her colleagues have quickly come to her defense.