For WNBA gamers of African descent, deciding what identify to go by is a alternative born of pleasure, preservation
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In Nigerian tradition, Los Angeles Sparks ahead Nneka Ogwumike stated, an individual’s full identify acts as an affirmation.
Ogwumike, whose full identify is Nnemkadi Chinwe Ogwumike, stated Nnemkadi means “mother supreme,” Chinwe means “God gives,” and Ogwumike means “warrior.”
Ogwumike is amongst a number of WNBA gamers with a reputation of African origin. Several of these gamers, although, have opted to shorten their first names throughout their professional careers. For some gamers, the change is a alternative of comfort or accessibility. For others, it’s an act of preservation.
Andscape spoke with Ogwumike, fellow WNBA gamers Okikiola “Kiki” Iriafen, Tèmítọ́pẹ́ “Tèmí” Fágbénlé, Eziyoda “Ezi” Magbegor and free-agent Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda about their relationships with their names and the way they’ve navigated presenting themselves over the course of their lives.
These interviews have been edited for size and readability.
Team: Toronto TempoWhere she grew up: London, United Kingdom (born in Baltimore)Family nation of origin: Nigeria
“I’ve considered using my full name for basketball rosters, but I’m not having them butcher my name when they call it out in front of thousands of people in the stadiums,” Toronto Tempo competitor Tèmítọ́pẹ́ “Tèmi” Fágbénlé (heart) stated. Mark Blinch / NBAE through Getty Images
Tèmítọ́pẹ́ is Nigerian of Yoruba origin. I believe from the get-go, particularly rising up in England, no person may pronounce Tèmítọ́pẹ́ correctly. In Nigeria, lots of people simply shorten their names anyway, so it’s not out of the norm, however I’d say that I stored Tèmi as a result of that’s what folks may pronounce simpler.
Tèmítọ́pẹ́ “Tèmi” Fágbénlé pronounces her identify.
Even when [people] say Tèmi, it’s nonetheless not the proper intonation, however it’s simpler for them to say and simpler for them to not butcher. It’s not Temi, it’s Tèmi. There’s accents on it for a motive. Tèmítọ́pẹ́ is a bit more durable, though I do love that identify and I find it irresistible when anybody calls me that — correctly. If you don’t know find out how to say it, don’t say it.
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I’ve thought-about utilizing my full identify for basketball rosters, however I’m not having them butcher my identify after they name it out in entrance of hundreds of individuals within the stadiums. I don’t need to hear it. Nope. … It’s simply primarily for my very own preservation. It takes one thing out of me to listen to it pronounced incorrectly, to listen to time after time.
The world isn’t overseas to tough names to pronounce, proper? Like Russian names, Stanislavski, Schwarzenegger, no matter. Whoever else is on the market, they are going to determine a method to pronounce it. I believe the tone is the toughest a part of getting it right, however I do admire folks’s makes an attempt to try to pronounce it appropriately. I believe we’ve received a methods to go, however the effort remains to be there, particularly in America.
I like that I’m in a position to say that I’m from someplace. … I do know my roots. I do know my historical past, and I’m very grateful to have the ability to name Nigeria residence, in addition to return there if I ever have to. It’s only a pleasure, not solely being there, but additionally being within the diaspora, realizing how profitable Nigerians are throughout all types of aspects of life. We’re nice, we’re good, we’re athletic, we’re inventive, inventive. We’re fairly superb, and I’m very proud to be a part of that demographic.
Team: Washington MysticsWhere she grew up: Los AngelesFamily nation of origin: Nigeria
Okikiola means, like, “famous wealth” within the language of Yoruba. My dad and mom had been very intentional with naming myself and my siblings issues that can come to fruition. So, they’re all the time like, “We see you as a well-known person that’s going to be very well-off.” I consider it’s extra of a male identify, however my dad was like, “Regardless of male or female, I want my first kid to be Okikiola.”
Okikiola “Kiki” Iriafen pronounces her identify.
Growing up, it’s all the time such as you hate when there’s a sub coming in school as a result of it all the time will get to your identify and also you’re like, oh, gosh, it’s me, however I’ve all the time cherished my identify. I’ve by no means been ashamed of it or tried to cover it. Some of my professors in class would name me by my full identify and others wouldn’t. So, I’ve all the time had a wholesome relationship with my identify, however rising up it was more durable for folks to say it.
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It wasn’t arduous for me when that occurred. I form of got here up with this little phrasing [to help]. I’d inform folks my identify is like “oh, Kiki, ola.” After I stated that, folks had been like, “I will never forget your name.” So I all the time tried to make it simple for folks to say my identify, however nonetheless say it appropriately.
Honestly, with basketball, it’s simply simpler for folks to say Kiki on the court docket. So for my teammates to be like, Okikiola, Okikiola — it’s simply more durable to say. But something I do formally, like once I received drafted, I made certain the WNBA stated Okikiola Iriafen. They didn’t name me Kiki. So, for essentially the most half, I exploit Okikiola in my on a regular basis life. But I reply to both. Some folks really are like, “I want to call you by your full name,” and I’m high-quality with that, too.
Team: Seattle StormWhere she grew up: Melbourne, AustraliaFamily nation of origin: Nigeria
“Growing up in Australia, not a lot of people could pronounce my full name,” stated Seattle Storm ahead Eziyoda “Ezi” Magbegor (second from left), who has missed the beginning of the 2026 WNBA stretch with a proper foot setback. Indrawan Kumala / NurPhoto through Getty Images
I’m Nigerian and Isoko. My dad and mom grew up in villages … in Delta State, in order that’s form of the background of the place my identify and the place my tradition, household and identify comes from. I used to be really named after my grandma, my dad’s mother, and her identify was Eziyoda. She not too long ago handed final yr. She was 103 years outdated.
Eziyoda “Ezi” Magbegor pronounces her identify.
It’s essential to me to hold her identify on, and when she handed away that was one thing that I informed my dad. I understand how a lot she meant to him. They had been very shut. He was the one son — he’s received seven sisters. The which means of Eziyoda, it form of interprets to dedication — like decided to stay … conquer, thrive.
Obviously, folks name me Ezi, and I are likely to introduce myself as Ezi. I believe rising up in Australia, not lots of people may pronounce my full identify, and so it was simply concise. My dad and mom name me Ezi as nicely, however I believe it was simply one thing that I glided by and simply caught.
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[When I was younger], as a result of my identify is Eziyoda, folks would say, “Yoda” and examine it to Star Wars, which received actually annoying and outdated and I didn’t prefer it in any respect. … When you’re younger and one of many solely Black children apart out of your sibling rising up in school, it’s form of such as you try to snigger it off. I used to be by no means one to right folks, in major college at the very least.
In highschool, I used to be higher. If I didn’t like how they stated my identify, I’d say that. It wasn’t extra like a “picked on” factor — they simply form of made it a joke, and it was one thing that I went together with.
Now, I really feel like, particularly if I may return, I’d cease them from doing that each time as a result of I believe even now, I all the time be sure I pronounce somebody’s identify proper. That’s their identify, regardless of how tough it’s to pronounce. I believe it’s so necessary to name somebody by the identify that their dad and mom gave them out of respect to them and their dad and mom.
Team: WNBA free agent (beforehand Golden State Valkyries)Where she grew up: Sioux Falls, South DakotaCountry of origin: Democratic Republic of Congo (Luba tribe)
“Growing up, my mom was always really strict with no nicknames, wanting people to call me by my full first name,” WNBA free-agent Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda stated.Eakin Howard / Getty Images
My mother is from the Democratic Republic of Congo so, after all, my identify holds a variety of which means. It means “a gift of luck.” Your identify — the place my mother comes from — your identify is sort of a blessing. When anyone’s calling your identify, they’re type of blessing you in a way. That was one different rationalization she gave for the rationale why she needed me to have my identify.
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda pronounces her identify.
Growing up, my mother was all the time actually strict with no nicknames, wanting folks to name me by my full first identify. At first, I used to be like, come on, it’s lots to say, you realize? As I grew older, particularly in highschool, I noticed the worth of my identify, how a lot energy it provides me and that it does maintain a variety of significance.
My mother was the one elevating us. I grew up round a variety of Congolese tradition — consuming cassava soup, okra soup and listening to music that my mother would take heed to. She additionally used to speak to us in Swahili, however as a result of I grew up within the Midwest, it by no means caught with me. It was a bit arduous rising up within the Midwest with a reputation that was unfamiliar to folks. Even although you need folks to respect your identify — and in at this time’s day and age lots of people are very respectful of individuals’s names — again then children didn’t know any higher. They’re going to say what they need to say.
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Having to cope with some children probably not respecting the truth that my identify is Ndjakalenga, not Jackie or such, it wasn’t like I used to be bullied or something, however generally there have been just a few individuals who would both simply not name me something or they might shorten my identify.
Being happy with my identify is necessary to me as a result of I need folks to have the ability to respect who they’re and have the ability to have that self-confidence and never really feel like they’ve to reduce themselves for the comfortability of others. I do know, particularly within the job realm, you could have some individuals who might cross up on you due to your identify, however these alternatives aren’t meant to be, in the event that they’re passing up on such a tremendous particular person. I may shorten up my identify, however there’s no level as a result of I’ve caught with it so lengthy and my mother has instilled that perception that my identify is a blessing for myself.
Team: Los Angeles SparksWhere she grew up: Tomball, TexasFamily nation of origin: Nigeria
“I was trying to make certain people feel comfortable when they read my full name. … But as I got older, I realized that my job isn’t to make others feel comfortable,” Los Angeles Sparks ahead Nneka Ogwumike stated.Matthew Huang / Icon Sportswire through Getty Images
My first identify was definitely in honor of my grandma on my mother’s aspect, who died a yr earlier than I used to be born. I glided by Nneka very early on. I can’t even actually bear in mind if anybody’s ever known as me Nnemkadi moreover my household. It was simply a better method for folks to pronounce my identify, although it’s not really my identify in any respect — the letters are shared in my full identify, and Nneka is a quite common identify in Nigeria.
Nnemkadi “Nneka” Chinwe Ogwumike pronounces her identify.
I’ve all the time cherished my identify. I believe what I cherished about my identify was that I’m unsure if there’s anybody else who has my identify. My dad and mom gave me one thing that’s extremely distinctive. I believe I used to be attempting to make sure folks really feel snug after they learn my full identify. I’d inform them, “Oh, you can just call me Nneka.” But as I received older, I noticed that my job isn’t to make others really feel snug. There’s fairly just a few different names that aren’t of African descent that folks don’t have a difficulty saying. So, I leaned much less into the comfortability, I assume, like public comfortability with my identify.
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What I noticed was that not leaning into or at the very least rising into proudly owning my identify and the place I’m from and figuring out with what makes me who I’m — it was closing me and a variety of others off to a gaggle of people that might not know that they might be all for a number of the issues that I’m concerned with. As everybody likes to say, and it’s true: If you possibly can’t see her, you possibly can’t be her. There’s in all probability a variety of younger ladies who’re both named Nneka or relate to the identify Nneka that maybe now — as a result of I’ve owned my identify — really feel extra assured in with the ability to consider that they’ll obtain sure issues.
When Ogwumike attended Stanford from 2008-12, she was listed on the Cardinal unit web page as “Nnemkadi.” As a professional, she is listed as “Nneka.”
I don’t fairly bear in mind it essentially being a aware resolution [to change the presentation of her name]. But when requested, I believe with a purpose to, form of, I assume simply keep away from rationalization, I’d say, “Oh, you can just call me by Nneka.” I do really feel, although, that we had been groomed to be in a society the place in case you are completely different, you might be to assimilate. I’d be remiss to say that I didn’t have that as an underlying motive.
In Nigerian tradition, our names are sentences. Our names are affirmations and declarations. That’s not one thing that must be misplaced simply because somebody needs to say it as simply as they might really feel they should.
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I believe that this can be a very well timed dialog as we’re taking a look at what’s occurring with the Knicks and OG [Anunoby], you realize? People are in all probability being uncovered to facets of tradition they by no means in any other case thought they might be simply just by studying find out how to pronounce anyone’s identify appropriately.
Sean Hurd is a senior author for Andscape who primarily covers ladies’s basketball. His athletic peak got here on the age of 10 when he was named camper of the week at a Josh Childress basketball camp.
