In ELLE’s series Office Hours, we ask people in powerful positions to take us through their first jobs, worst jobs, and everything in between. In honor of the WNBA Draft, we’re sitting down with Chiney Ogwumike, the ESPN basketball analyst and show host who played for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Connecticut Sun, winning the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2014 and earning two All-Star titles from the league. Ogwumike now hosts Chiney Today, a semiweekly ESPN podcast on all things basketball. “There’s so many young women now that say, ‘I want to be a broadcast journalist because I saw you do it,” she says. “I love that, because I didn’t see anyone do it! I had to say, ‘What does this look like?’ and then see if it could work.” She begins to laugh. “I guess it did!” Here’s how Ogwumike gets her goals done, what she wants in a human alarm clock, and how to order a work salad that won’t embarrass you.
My first job
I was a receptionist at my middle school. My mom was the assistant principal, and my dad traveled a lot—especially during the summer. We had the whole school as our playground: movie theater-type nights in the library, riding scooters in the gym. But when we got to be of age, we were allowed $5 an hour to answer the phone. And no one called the school during the summer except for, like, summer school dates. So here’s my 10- or 11-year-old self: “School starts on this day, I will leave a message for this teacher.”
My worst job
I was a referee for a middle school basketball season. My sisters and I—we were like 15 or 16 at the time—and it doesn’t matter that you’re a young kid. I was getting $15 a game, basically an hour. And people are yelling at you, calling you blind if they don’t like your call.
The best advice I’ve ever received
Don’t be afraid to try something new. I was actually the first person to be a full-time broadcaster and a full-time athlete. I didn’t know that going on ESPN and talking sports would turn into a career. But I was willing to try something new. That was scary! And it not only created the best life for me in my career, but it’s created great opportunities for other people. So the people in my life, my coaches and my fellow athletes and the ESPN producers who said, “This is for you; you should step onto this path,” I’d say that was great advice.
Why I watch myself on TV
As an athlete, you’re so used to having someone coach you. But as an adult, you kind of have to become your own coach, even if you have really good mentors or bosses. Every time I do a podcast or a TV appearance, I go home after work and immediately, I’m watching it and making notes. Did I nail this point? What could I have done with the video? What could I have done with the breakdown? Watching the tapes back, that’s how I learned that I talk too fast! So I checked in with a producer, and they recommended that before we start rolling, I say “namaste” in my head. That reminds me to slow down and savor each second.
Why I don’t read the comments
People question when a woman has an opinion in a male space, like, “What do you know about NBA basketball? Didn’t you just play on the girl’s team?” And I’m like, “I can’t even begin to answer that because it’s trash.” I think for me, I’ve built up years of credibility to be able to speak my opinion, and people understand that it’s coming from a place that is real and authentic and backed by fact. And yet, I still get nervous before I criticize a play sometimes. I still wish I was more comfortable speaking my truth. I’m working really hard on that because I know I have the authority and experience to have a respected opinion in this space. Sometimes your feelings, especially insecurities, aren’t facts, you know?
How I get my head in the game
First, gotta say my prayers. Then, I swear by hot yoga. Ever since I stopped playing [in the WNBA], hot yoga is it for me. I’m heavy into hot yoga sculpting classes, so much so that sometimes I’ll post about them and fans will say, “Good luck with your sculpt” the way they used to say “good luck with your basketball game.” I’m also a nerd, so I did research and put together a very organized list of every top-rated hot yoga studio in the cities where the basketball tournaments are, and where I’m traveling for work. Right now, I’m in Phoenix, and I already know: I’m going to this place called Radiate. It’s known for its humidity.
Why my skin care routine is a second job
When you’re on camera, they put so much makeup on you. It’s so much heavier and really built to last. You can’t take it off with micellar water, the way they do in makeup tutorial videos. You’ve got to get hardcore. For me, that means a very raw African Black Soap. It gets everything off from TV. And then I’m very heavy into the moisturizers. I do, like, three layers of moisturizer from La Roche-Posay. And most importantly, I always use sunscreen, even though I’m indoors for the majority of my day. Athletes and sportscasters, we’re always under the lights. They don’t tell you how important SPF is for that! When I started using just a simple sunscreen, that changed the game for my skin care.
How I dress now that I don’t have a uniform
As a player, they pick your clothes for you! You always know what you’re wearing to work! Now, I’ve had to figure out a new kind of work uniform. When you watch people on TV, particularly men, they’re in suits and it’s stuffy! But recently, as women, we’ve embraced the feminine instead of just wearing blue and black suits. I’ll do a ton of color. I’ll do sequins. My dream work suits are from Sergio Hudson because the colors and the cuts are so sexy and strong. I love Alice & Olivia blazers and fitted dresses—the florals, especially. And there’s an African brand named Foure that is amazing because it’s fun and accessible. For shoes, I do still have to be able to run around the court to grab interviews. So I have to find heels I can run in. Mine are from Smash Shoes, and I want to shout them out because they make extended sizes. I have larger feet because I’m 6’3”—I’m an athlete. We have big feet. Their sizing goes up to 15 or 16, which is amazing. And ASOS is great for metallic, pointy-toe heels.
The mantras I always have on rotation
Sometimes I say the Serenity prayer before I go on-air. And also the Angel of God prayer, just because you never know what can happen. I used to do the same thing when I walked onto the court. Then as a group, we say, “All those feels, we vibe,” so like, whatever happens on here, it doesn’t matter, let’s just vibe and have a good time. And the mantra that I always tell people is, “You got to go through it to get to it.” Whatever is in front of you might be hard or difficult or scary. You just got to go through it to get to it.
My fantasy draft
If I was drafting people onto Team Chiney, I would go for Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, and Michael Strahan. Michelle would be there for leadership guidance. Beyoncé would be there for how to build and maintain a flawless personal brand. And Michael Strahan, I like how he transitioned from an athlete to an amazing broadcaster. He’s a great example of a career pivot. I would also add Tems, the Nigerian musician. She’s got that African authenticity that I really admire.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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