For the third consecutive time, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has rejected Nneka Ogwumike’s request to switch her national team allegiance from the United States to Nigeria.
Ogwumike, a former WNBA MVP and one of the most accomplished players in women’s basketball, has been seeking to represent D’Tigress, Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team since the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
She made similar attempts to compete for Nigeria at both the 2023 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games, but all efforts have been turned down by FIBA.
This third rejection effectively ends her hopes of representing Nigeria at next year’s World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, despite her strong personal and family ties to the country.
According to reports, one of the key reasons behind FIBA’s decision is Ogwumike’s prior participation with Team USA, notably her role in the 2014 and 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cups, where she helped the American side to gold medals.
The ruling has sparked disappointment among Nigerian basketball fans, who had hoped to see the Ogwumike sisters — Nneka, Chiney, and Erica — unite under the Nigerian flag.ub