Nneka Ogwumike named 2026 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike has been named the recipient of the WNBA’s 2026 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, the league announced on Oct. 13, 2026. The award marks Ogwumike’s second straight win and her fifth overall, extending the WNBA record for the most Sportsmanship Award titles in league history.

The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is presented each season to a player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity. The award is named in honour of the late Kim Perrot, who helped the Houston Comets win the first two WNBA championships in 1997 and 1998 and died in August 1999 after a seven-month battle with cancer.

According to the WNBA, Ogwumike received 38 votes from a national panel of 74 sportswriters and broadcasters. New York Liberty forward-guard Rebecca Allen finished second with seven votes, and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell placed third with six votes. Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton and Washington Mystics forward Michaela Onyenwere tied for fourth, each receiving four votes.

The WNBA said Ogwumike received the award for her play in her 15th and final WNBA season. She averaged 17.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in 43 games, and she led the Sparks in total points and rebounds. The league also noted that she started every game she played.

The league further outlined Ogwumike’s career achievements as part of the context surrounding the award. It stated she finished her WNBA career ranked fourth in league history in both points (8,047) and steals (718), and third in rebounds (3,657). The WNBA also said she became the Sparks’ all-time scoring leader and set the record for career points in the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game.

Beyond her on-court production, the WNBA said Ogwumike became the only player in league history to reach at least 7,000 career points and a career field goal percentage of at least 50.0 percent. The league also highlighted her off-court role, noting she has served as President of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) since 2016.

The WNBA included the full voting results and past recipients of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award with its announcement. The previous three straight Ogwumike Sportsmanship Awards came from 2019 through 2021, followed by another win in 2025; the 2026 award is her latest addition to a list of winners that includes Dawn Staley, Sue Bird and several other multi-time recipients.

The 2026 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner list begins with Haixia Zheng (1997) and continues through the most recent recipient, Ogwumike (2026), with other past winners including Suzie McConnell Serio, Dawn Staley, Tamika Catchings, Becky Hammon, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Dearica Hamby, among others. The WNBA’s announcement credits Ogwumike’s latest selection to the league’s national panel vote and to the sportsmanship criteria tied to the award’s purpose.