Sister Act
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Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike (Cy-Fair H.S. / Cypress, Texas) are sisters, two years apart, the other�s biggest fan and among the nation�s top prep sensations, who may prove to be a package deal for the red, white and blue.
The sister-duo reported to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Monday, along with 32 other U.S. hopefuls who will be competing for one of 12 roster spots on the 2008 USA Basketball Women�s U18 National Team. After the selection of finalists on Thursday, the team will travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina , for the July 23-27 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women.
Since they first began playing basketball at age 10, the Ogwumike sisters have grown together on the court, using basketball as the cornerstone of their close relationship. Together they have traveled the country with their AAU Team, the Cy-Fair Shock, and in 2008 they captured their first 5A title crown in the Texas High School State Championship. Now, as Nneka heads west to embark on her collegiate playing career at Stanford, the Ogwumikes may be forced to say goodbye to their sister act on the hardwood. Maybe.
If all goes well at trials, the sisters may make an encore appearance in Buenos Aires in what could either be their final act as sibling teammates, or a preview of what is yet to come at the collegiate level.
�We�ve talked about sharing the college experience, but we both know we want to be individuals and get what we want from life,� Chiney said. �It would be awesome to play with Nneka again but I still want to keep my options open and see what is out there for me. After high school, I thought we were finished playing together. It was sad to think that was the last time I would play with her. So it�s really nice to have another chance to play together on the same court.�
Nneka agrees it would be �really cool� to continue playing together beyond their high school years, but she also recognizes that it is solely Chiney�s decision. �It�s bitter-sweet knowing this could be the last opportunity we have to play together on a team,� said Nneka. �I like playing with Chiney and I�ve played with her for a long time. She�s like my partner in crime.�
Of course, part of Chiney�s inspiration to play basketball came from wanting to be like her older sister. �We tried out when we were 10-years-old, and at that time we didn�t know how to play,� said Chiney. �Then Nneka started to play and I fell in love with basketball watching her.�
Through a nostalgic grin, Chiney openly admits neither she nor her sister had much natural talent. �Nneka started out really shaky,� Chiney confessed in between chuckles. �But she got a lot better in her first few years and I loved watching her improve. I started playing against her and once I knew I could play, I really started to get into it.�
Although slow beginners, it wasn�t long before the Ogwumike sisters started to turn heads during their next eight years on the court. Known as consummate athletes to coaches, teammates and opponents alike, perhaps no one knows their style of play better than their other half.
�My sister is explosive on the court,� Nneka said of Chiney. �A lot of people underestimate her because of her age, but she is pretty quick and she knows how to let the fire out.�
Chiney agrees that she is an emotional player and says if she had to boil down her court personality to one word, it would be enthusiastic. �That�s where I make my living,� she said. �Nneka gets on me a little bit because I�m so crazy, but I like showing my emotions on the court.�
When the roles were reversed, Chiney proved just as perceptive when pin-pointing her older sister�s style of play. �She is very poised,� Chiney said of Nneka. �She always has the mentality of maintaining her consistency.�
It was that same consistency and determination that earned Nneka her place among the nation�s most decorated high school players, listing on the 2008 McDonald�s All-American and USA Today first teams, while also being named the 2008 Parade Magazine co-National Player of the Year and the 2008 Gatorade Girls National Basketball Player of the Year.
�I would describe my court personality as sharp because I try to play smoothly and quickly at the same time � fast, but while always doing my best to maintain control,� Nneka said.
A tenacious tandem of fire and poise, it is only natural that the two sisters compliment each other on the court. However, both are quick to point out that although they may walk similar paths, they leave behind two distinct sets of footprints as their unique court personas resonate through their different styles of play and approaches to the game.
Still, off the court the sibling similarities begin to shine through. Aside from the �goofy trait that runs in the family,� both sisters agree they hate to lose, especially to each other. When asked, who would win in a one-on-one matchup, Nneka quickly replied, �Me,� then quickly retracted, admitting it could go either way. �She has strengths where I have weaknesses and I have strengths where she has weaknesses,� Nneka explained. �It would be a really good matchup.�
However, according to Chiney, in the occurrence of a loose ball it�s every sister for herself. �It would be the longest jump ball in the world, because neither one of us is letting it go.�
No matter the outcome, in a world of few guarantees one thing remains certain: the Ogwumike sisters will always have an outlet for their intense, competitive natures in each other � each serving as the driving force that pushes the other sister to be better.
While both players are grateful for the opportunity to play with each other for the USA, they understand that the focus is on the team. The quest for Argentina not only serves as a celebration of the successful careers they share, but more importantly as a validation of the journey they made together. Despite what happens this summer, only time will tell if the dynamic duo�s path will meet again; and if so, will they stand side-by-side as teammates or come face-to-face as foes? But as Nneka said, no matter what they do, where they end up, or what decisions they make, they �will always support each other and have fun playing the game.�
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