WNBA Draft 2016 Countdown (5 Days): Nneka Ogwumike, No. 1 Pick, 2012

In the 20 days leading up to the 20th annual WNBA Draft, WNBA.com and @WNBA are highlighting the first 19 No. 1 overall picks and their place in league history. Our 20-day countdown continues with Nneka Ogwumike, the first selection in the 2012 WNBA Draft.
With the first pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft, the Los Angeles Sparks selected forward Nneka Ogwumike from Stanford, where the three-time All-American led the Cardinal to four straight NCAA Final Fours.
Ogwumike was a near unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year, becoming the fifth straight No. 1 overall pick to win the award, after leading all rookies in scoring (14.0 ppg), rebounding (7.5 rpg) and double-doubles (9).
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After missing the playoffs the previous season, the Sparks returned to the postseason in Ogwumike’s rookie season and advanced to the Western Conference Finals before being eliminated by Minnesota. The Sparks have made the playoffs in each of Ogwumike’s four seasons in the WNBA, but have not made it past the Conference Semifinals in any of the past three seasons.
Ogwumike is a three-time WNBA All-Star and was selected to the All-WNBA Second Team in her third season in the WNBA (2014) after averaging a career-best 15.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.8 steals.
Ogwumike is consistently ranked among the league leaders in rebounding (she has three top 10 finishes), scoring (two top 10 finishes) and steals (two top 10s). She has also ranked in the top 10 in PER in every season of her WNBA career.
In addition to her play for the Sparks, Ogwumike competes the USA Basketball Women’s National Team, winning a gold medal in the 2014 FIBA World Championship and is a finalist for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team that will compete in Rio this summer.