Swimsuit

7 Inspiring Photos From WNBA Star Nneka Ogwumike’s Trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands

From the court to the beach, the professional basketball player makes her mark.

Martha Zaytoun

Nneka Ogwumike was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas.

Nneka Ogwumike was photographed by Laretta Houston in St. Thomas.

From leading the renegotiation of the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement in 2020 to taking part in an SI Swimsuit photoshoot last year, Nneka Ogwumike truly is a powerhouse. The professional basketball player accompanied photographer Laretta Houston to St. Thomas for her SI Swim debut.

The Los Angeles Sparks forward always has been aware of the legacy she wants to create. While playing basketball at Stanford, the 2016 WNBA MVP experienced a lot of meaningful growth.

“I’m very proud of my time at Stanford,” she told SI Swimsuit. “I learned so much about myself. I learned how not to box myself in, and that really prepared me for the [WNBA].”

The 33-year-old certainly has carried that knowledge forward. From her work for the WNBA Players Association to the set in St. Thomas, her mission is always “to listen to people’s experience and especially empower those who have not historically had the space to share their story and their experience,” she said.

In St. Thomas, Ogwumike strove to empower as she posed for the camera in a series of all-black ensembles.

“Beauty is more than just what you scroll past. It’s all about how you feel. It’s about empowering yourself to empower others,” she said. “I hope that every facet of my representation [in the SI Swim issue] resonates with somebody.”

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Martha Zaytoun
MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit. Before joining SI Swimsuit in 2023, she worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Zaytoun loves to watercolor and oil paint, run and water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.

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