…at 35, Nneka Ogwumike ready to give up on appealing
Nneka Ogwumike’s hopes of playing for Nigeria at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles have officially ended after the world basketball governing body, FIBA, once again rejected her application to represent the D’Tigress.
This marks the third time Ogwumike’s request to switch national allegiance has been denied. Her first application to represent Nigeria came ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, followed by another attempt before the Paris 2024 Olympics, both of which were unsuccessful.
Her latest bid, which would have allowed her to play for Nigeria at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin (September 4–13, 2026), has now met the same fate.
The Seattle Storm forward, who last played for the U.S. national team in 2018, has expressed frustration with FIBA’s repeated denials, hinting that this will be her final attempt.
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“After the second time trying to appeal, I made my peace with it. The third time, I was like, let me say I gave it my all. I’m kind of at the point where I’m very much over it,” Ogwumike told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “It’s unfortunate, but there are just certain things you can’t control.”
According to AP, FIBA explained that her first application was denied because it arrived too close to the 2020 Olympics, while the second was rejected after missing the submission deadline. The federation also cited her key role in the U.S. team’s victories at the 2014 and 2018 FIBA World Cups as a factor complicating the switch.
The 35-year-old forward suggested that she now sees no point in further appeals, implying there may be bias in how her case has been handled.
“My involvement with USA is for them their strongest point, but it doesn’t necessarily make sense to the individual being penalized for it,” she said.
“You guys are going to continue using this excuse over and over again. I’m not about to beat a dead horse. I gave it an honest try, so I feel fine about it.”
FIBA maintains strict rules discouraging athletes from representing more than one senior national team during their careers – a policy that has now definitively closed the door on Ogwumike’s long-held dream of playing for Nigeria.
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