Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has finally accepted that her long-standing dream of representing Nigeria at the Olympic Games will never come true, following FIBA’s third and final rejection of her nationality switch request.
The 35-year-old WNBA veteran, born to Nigerian parents, has been seeking approval to play for D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, since the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. However, basketball’s global governing body has once again denied her appeal—effectively closing the chapter on her hopes to don Nigeria’s green and white jersey on the Olympic stage.
In a phone interview with the Associated Press, Ogwumike admitted she has made peace with the decision.
“After the second appeal, I came to terms with it,” she said. “The third time, I just wanted to give it one last try. Now, I’m over it. It’s unfortunate, but there are things you simply can’t control.”
FIBA confirmed that Ogwumike’s application was rejected, citing procedural and eligibility issues. Her first request was submitted too close to the Tokyo Games, and her second came after the deadline. The organization also referenced her key contributions to Team USA’s World Cup triumphs in 2014 and 2018, noting that players who have represented one senior national team in major tournaments are generally barred from switching to another.
Ogwumike expressed frustration at the logic behind the ruling:
“Their point makes sense for them, but not for the athlete who’s penalized for loyalty. They keep using the same justification. I gave it my best shot, and I’m at peace with that.”
Despite her impressive 18.3 points and 7 rebounds per game this season, her switch was ultimately unsuccessful—though USA Basketball had granted her clearance to pursue it.
She wasn’t alone in her quest: fellow WNBA player Elizabeth Williams also had her application denied, while her sister Chiney Ogwumike received conditional approval since she never competed in a FIBA World Cup.
Nneka revealed another hurdle from earlier in her career—being discouraged from obtaining a Nigerian passport.
“When I was younger, USA Basketball told me getting a second passport could hurt my chances with Team USA. I wasn’t doing it for basketball; I just wanted one because my parents are Nigerian. But they scared us away from it,” she explained.
Nigeria’s women’s national team, D’Tigress, has been rapidly rising in global basketball. Their historic run to the Olympic quarterfinals at the Paris Games—the first for any African team—fueled speculation that FIBA’s reluctance to approve Ogwumike’s switch might have been partly due to Nigeria’s growing competitiveness.
“That’s the part they didn’t say out loud, but we could feel it,” she hinted.
Though disappointed, Ogwumike hopes her story will prompt a reexamination of FIBA’s nationality and eligibility rules.
“I just hope my experience sheds light on how complicated this process can be—and how much it matters to athletes who want to represent their heritage with pride,” she concluded.
