Swimsuit

8 Breathtaking Photos of WNBA Athlete Nneka Ogwumike in St. Thomas

The pro basketball player posed for the SI Swimsuit Issue in 2022.

Cara O’Bleness

Nneka Ogwumike

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

Last year, star WNBA player Nneka Ogwumike participated in a group photo shoot unlike any other in the SI Swimsuit brand’s history. She posed for the magazine alongside fellow WNBA athletes Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, DiDi Richards and Te’a Cooper. The quintet traveled to St. Thomas, where they posed for photographer Laretta Houston.

Ogwumike plays for the Sparks and was the No. 1 pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft. She was named WNBA Rookie of the Year the same year. The 32-year-old athlete was a star basketball player—and student—at the collegiate level. She graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and made four consecutive Final Four appearances with her team.

Ogwumike said she felt “amazing” on the set of last year’s tropical photo shoot.

“I’m really happy to be out here being pushed to the limits, literally, but in such a beautiful place,” she said.

She added that the SI Swimsuit feature pushed her out of her comfort zone a little bit, which is something the athlete expressed she’s doing more regularly these days.

“I’m trying to challenge myself a little bit more when it comes to photo shoots, and even, you know, production and acting and stuff, so I’m trying to just relinquish all feelings of vulnerability and embarrassment and just dive headfirst into it, so I’m fired up,” Ogwumike admitted.

Below are eight of our favorite photos captured of Ogwumike at last year’s WNBA athlete photo shoot in St. Thomas.

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Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.