Stanford senior forward Chiney Ogwumike was named the recipient of the 2013-14 Capital One Academic All-America of the Year award for Division I women’s basketball, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced Thursday.
The announcement makes Ogwumike the first member of the Stanford women’s basketball team to earn the honor, and she joins a star-studded list of former Cardinal standouts who also earned the honor for their respective sports, including Andrew Luck (football, 2012), Nick Amuchastegui (wrestling/at-large, 2011 and 2012), Alix Klineman (2010, women’s volleyball), Rachel Buehler (women’s soccer, 2007), and Tommy Vardell (1991, football).
Ogwumike also headlines the five-woman Capital One Academic All-America Division I Women’s Basketball Team, marking her second straight selection. She was joined on this year’s edition by Kody Burke (North Carolina State), Amanda Hyde (IPFW), Eilise O’Conner (UMKC), and Rachel Tecca (Akron).
A two-time All-American, a consensus national player of the year finalist last season and the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year for her accomplishments on the court, Ogwumike’s dedication to academics and volunteerism have also made headlines. The Cypress, Texas native carries a 3.46 cumulative grade-point average and will complete her degree in international relations this March.
Following the 2012-13 basketball season, Ogwumike fulfilled a requirement of her major by studying abroad in Nigeria for the spring 2013 quarter. From April to June, she interned with the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum, in addition to working with the charity “Access 2 Success” to help build a new basketball court for local youth as well as serving as a counselor at various basketball camps in Nigeria.
On the court, Ogwumike is enjoying a record-breaking campaign in 2013-14 as Stanford is ranked fifth in the Associated Press Poll and at 13-1 in conference play is closing in on its 14th straight Pac-12 regular-season title. Ogwumike is the only player to rank in the national top 10 in scoring (26.5 ppg, third), rebounding (12.2 rpg, eighth), field-goal percentage (63.6, second), and double-doubles (19, sixth) through February 16. She also has scored at least 30 points on 11 occasions this season.
Ogwumike has been named Pac-12 Player of the Week a record seven times this season, and 16 times in her career, with a great amount of her success coming against some of the best teams in the nation. In nine games against Top 25 teams, Ogwumike has helped lead the Cardinal to an 8-1 mark by averaging 25.0 points and 12.6 rebounds while shooting 59.4 percent from the field.
On Jan. 3 Ogwumike passed former teammate Kayla Pedersen’s mark of 1,266 career rebounds to become the Pac-12’s all-time leading rebounder, and currently has 1,437 to her name entering Friday’s contest at USC. That figure also currently ranks 12th on the NCAA’s all-time career-rebounding list, just four behind Hawai’i’s Judy Mosley (1986-90) for a spot in the top 10.
With 2,458 career points, Ogwumike is also just 172 away from eclipsing former Stanford star Candice Wiggins’ Pac-12 record of 2,629. On Dec. 16, Ogwumike became just the fifth Stanford player to join the 2,000-Point/1,000-Rebound Club, joining older sister Nnemkadi Ogwumike, (2008-12), Jayne Appel (2006-10), Nicole Powell (2000-04) and Val Whiting (1989-93).
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics
By Stanford Athletics