{"id":2371297,"date":"2026-04-13T15:22:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2371297"},"modified":"2026-04-13T15:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T15:22:19","slug":"chiney-ogwumike-on-basketball-broadcasting-and-winning-without-permission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/chiney-ogwumike-on-basketball-broadcasting-and-winning-without-permission\/","title":{"rendered":"Chiney Ogwumike on Basketball, Broadcasting, and Winning Without Permission"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In ELLE\u2019s 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\u2019re 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\u2019s Rookie of the Year Award in 2014 and earning two All-Star titles from the league. Ogwumike now hosts <\/em>Chiney Today<\/a>, a semiweekly ESPN podcast on all things basketball. \u201cThere\u2019s so many young women now that say, \u2018I want to be a broadcast journalist because I saw you do it,\u201d she says. \u201cI love that, because I didn\u2019t see anyone do it! I had to say, \u2018What does this look like?\u2019 and then see if it could work.\u201d She begins to laugh. \u201cI guess it did!\u201d Here\u2019s how Ogwumike gets her goals done, what she wants in a human alarm clock, and how to order a work salad that won\u2019t embarrass you.<\/em><\/p>\n

My first job<\/h2>\n

I was a receptionist at my middle school. My mom was the assistant principal, and my dad traveled a lot\u2014especially 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\u2019s my 10- or 11-year-old self: \u201cSchool starts on this day, I will leave a message for this teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

My worst job<\/h2>\n

I was a referee for a middle school basketball season. My sisters and I\u2014we were like 15 or 16 at the time\u2014and it doesn\u2019t matter that you\u2019re a young kid. I was getting $15 a game, basically an hour. And people are yelling at you, calling you blind if they don\u2019t like your call.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy of Chiney Ogwumike<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

The best advice I\u2019ve ever received<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t 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\u2019t 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\u2019s created great opportunities for other people. So the people in my life, my coaches and my fellow athletes and the ESPN producers who said, \u201cThis is <\/em>for you; you should step onto this path,\u201d I\u2019d say that was great advice.<\/p>\n

Why I watch myself on TV<\/h2>\n

As an athlete, you\u2019re 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\u2019m 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\u2019s 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 \u201cnamaste\u201d in my head. That reminds me to slow down and savor each second.<\/p>\n

Why I don\u2019t read the comments<\/h2>\n

People question when a woman has an opinion in a male space, like, \u201cWhat do you know about NBA basketball? Didn\u2019t you just play on the girl\u2019s team?\u201d And I\u2019m like, \u201cI can\u2019t even begin to answer that because it\u2019s trash.\u201d I think for me, I\u2019ve built up years of credibility to be able to speak my opinion, and people understand that it\u2019s 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\u2019m 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\u2019t facts, you know?<\/p>\n

How I get my head in the game<\/h2>\n

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\u2019m heavy into hot yoga sculpting classes, so much so that sometimes I\u2019ll post about them and fans will say, \u201cGood luck with your sculpt\u201d the way they used to say \u201cgood luck with your basketball game.\u201d I\u2019m 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\u2019m traveling for work. Right now, I\u2019m in Phoenix, and I already know: I\u2019m going to this place called Radiate. It\u2019s known for its humidity.<\/p>\n

Why my skin care routine is a second job<\/h2>\n

When you\u2019re on camera, they put so much makeup on you. It\u2019s so much heavier and really built to last. You can\u2019t take it off with micellar water, the way they do in makeup tutorial videos. You\u2019ve got to get hardcore. For me, that means a very raw African Black Soap. It gets everything off from TV. And then I\u2019m 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\u2019m indoors for the majority of my day. Athletes and sportscasters, we\u2019re always under the lights. They don\u2019t tell you how important SPF is for that! When I started using just a simple sunscreen, that changed the game for my skin care.<\/p>\n

How I dress now that I don\u2019t have a uniform<\/h2>\n

As a player, they pick your clothes for you! You always know what you\u2019re wearing to work! Now, I\u2019ve had to figure out a new kind of work uniform. When you watch people on TV, particularly men, they\u2019re in suits and it\u2019s stuffy! But recently, as women, we\u2019ve embraced the feminine instead of just wearing blue and black suits. I\u2019ll do a ton of color. I\u2019ll 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\u2014the florals, especially. And there\u2019s an African brand named Foure that is amazing because it\u2019s 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\u2019m 6\u20193\u201d\u2014I\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

The mantras I always have on rotation<\/h2>\n

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, \u201cAll those feels, we vibe,\u201d so like, whatever happens on here, it doesn\u2019t matter, let\u2019s just vibe and have a good time. And the mantra that I always tell people is, \u201cYou got to go through it to get to it.\u201d Whatever is in front of you might be hard or difficult or scary. You just got to go through it to get to it.<\/p>\n

My fantasy draft<\/h2>\n

If I was drafting people onto Team Chiney, I would go for Michelle Obama, Beyonc\u00e9, and Michael Strahan. Michelle would be there for leadership guidance. Beyonc\u00e9 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\u2019s a great example of a career pivot. I would also add Tems, the Nigerian musician. She\u2019s got that African authenticity that I really admire.<\/p>\n

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n

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