The Houston professional athlete who gets nude for ESPN in the sports goliath’s latest Body Issue is not Internet famous. She doesn’t regularly scream for attention. She’s not angling to be in J.J. Watt’s Instagram orbit.
She’s just one of the best basketball players on earth — and a Stanford graduate who regularly earned all-academic honors. You could even call Nneka Ogwumike a nerd. Go ahead. She wouldn’t be offended by it. This 27-year-old from Tomball is used to shattering stereotypes.
So maybe it’s no surprise that one of the smartest players in the WNBA, the president of the league’s Players Union no less, would be one who agrees to bare it all for ESPN the Magazine — and the accompanying video shoots. Ogwumike has always put herself out there. She’s not going to let a little tasteful nudity (it’s ESPN, you don’t really see everything — even though Ogwumike only poses with a basketball) intimidate her.
Ogwumike won league MVP last season. She deserves more attention. It’s hard to quibble with the idea of her representing women’s basketball in any form.
This basketball savant (Ogwumike still considers herself a basketball “novice” despite her Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star and WNBA MVP status) could not come across any more charming than she does in her Body Issue interview. She talks about her fridge being filled with cucumbers (they’re packed full of vitamins) and her tea addiction.
“If you drink tea, it’ll save your life,” Ogwumike says. “I have like six cups of tea a day.”
This tea drinker almost never became a basketball star. Ogwumike charted a path to become a Simone Biles-level figure rather than an in-the-paint basketball star as a child. Then, her height got in the way.
“Growing up, I was a gymnast, but my gym instructor told my mom that it would be too dangerous for me to continue,” the 6-foot-2 Ogwumike tells ESPN. “I was way too tall for the somersaults and the flips they were teaching. It was possible I could hit my head on the balance beam, but even when I was doing flips, my body was too long for what was being taught. I was about 9 or 10 years old.
“I was really sad. I had never ever expressed any interest in any other sport. I felt like I didn’t know what to do. My life was crumbling at the ripe age of 10 years old!
“So that’s when I started playing basketball.”
“I’M NOT SURE IF THIS IS OK TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I’M GOING TO ANYWAY: GROWING UP, I DIDN’T THINK HAVING A BIG BUTT WAS GOOD.”
Gymnastics loss has become women’s basketball’s huge gain. It truly got going at Cy-Fair High School where Ogwumike and her sisters starred and continues to the highest levels of the game. Ogwumike is not only one of the more dominant players in the game. She has a chance to change women’s basketball for future generations with her work as the Players Union president. So yes, Nneka Ogwumike will take it all off for ESPN (and shock her Nigerian parents).
It brings more attention to her sport. And it shows how much more comfortable this star has become with her own body.
WNBA 2016: Phoenix Mercury vs Los Angeles Sparks game at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca on September 13, 2016. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
“I’m not sure if this is OK to talk about, but I’m going to anyway: Growing up, I didn’t think having a big butt was good,” Ogwumike says. “I was very self-conscious when I was playing volleyball because we had to wear the Spanx, but after a while I was like, ‘Hey, this is awesome!’ ”
Isn’t that really the point of a Body Issue? To embrace all types of different bodies. As usual, Nneka Ogwumike gets it better than most.
The 2024 AFRIFF celebrated exceptional African cinema through a vibrant week-long showcase of talent, creativity, and storytelling excellence.
Filmmakers, actors, and cinema enthusiasts gathered from across the continent to participate in screenings, masterclasses, and engaging panel discussions at the 2024 AFRIFF.
This 13th edition of AFRIFF demonstrated unprecedented diversity in African storytelling, featuring compelling narratives that captivated audiences through multiple genres and languages.
In the 2024 AFRIFF, carefully curated selections sparked meaningful conversations about contemporary African experiences while highlighting the continent’s rich cultural heritage.
Also, at the 2024 AFRIFF Globe Awards ceremony, outstanding films earned recognition for their artistic merit, technical excellence, and powerful storytelling.
These winning productions represented various African perspectives, from intimate personal narratives to broader social commentaries.
Let’s explore the complete list of winners who made their mark at this prestigious celebration of African cinema.
Jury Awards
Jury Prize: Freedom Way | Directed by Afolabi Olalekan | Nigeria
Jury Special Mention: Memories of Love Returned | Directed by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine | Uganda
Feature Prizes
Best Feature Film: Phoenix Fury | Directed by Ifeoma N. Chukwuogo | Ghana, Nigeria
Best International Film: Calladita (The Quiet Maid) | Directed by Miguel Faus | Spain
Best Director: Ifeoma N. Chukwuogo for Phoenix Fury
Special Mention: A Ghetto Love Story | Directed by Daniel Oriahi | Nigeria
Best Male Performance: Alexander Hakim in The Dog
Best Female Performance: Uzoamaka Onuoha in Agemo
Best Screenplay: Bode Asiyanbi for The Man Died
Documentary Prizes
Best Documentary: Mother City | Directed by Miki Redelinghuys | Brazil, South Africa
Best International Documentary: Memories of Love Returned | Directed by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine
Special Mention: Dan Bature Kudawa | Directed by Charles Solomon | Nigeria
Best Documentary Short: From God to Man | Directed by Lansana Mansaray | Sierra Leone
Short Film Prizes
Best Animation: Hadu | Directed by Damilola Solesi | Nigeria
Special Mention: Leon and the Professor | Directed by Chekwube Okonkwo | Nigeria
Best Short: Adunni | Directed by Tola Falonipe | Nigeria
Best International Short: Cookie Box | Directed by Adam Żurawiecki | Ghana, Malta
Best Student Short: Last Minute | Directed by Nicole E. Emechebe | Nigeria
Special Mention: Flawed Cupid | Directed by Emerald Obahiagbon, Feyisayo Rotimi | Nigeria
Osunde did not take her comment lightly. She retorted, saying, “We’re tired of seeing your face too in your office. Damn! I hope they sack you.”
Enioluwa then took to X to address the notion of Nollywood using familiar faces in films. He stressed that it happens because of finances.
He wrote,
“People often say they’re tired of seeing the same faces in Nigerian films. However, unlike in Hollywood, actors in Nigeria can’t afford to do just one film a year—how much are they paying? The industry currently can’t support as many newcomers as people might expect because, realistically, many of them wouldn’t be able to meet even their basic needs. No one wants to be famous and financially unstable.”
In response, another X user asked him for practical solutions, urging him to suggest actionable steps rather than just highlighting the problems. “You made a crucial point there but you didn’t suggest any solution,” he commented.
Enioluwa then explained,
We don’t have the buying power yet; it’s growing because streaming platforms have come in and people have made more records in the box office. Nevertheless, you can’t equate it to Hollywood, an Avengers that made over $2 billion that can pay its actors millions of dollars and still have enough profit.
People often say they’re tired of seeing the same faces in Nigerian films.
However, unlike in Hollywood, actors in Nigeria can’t afford to do just one film a year— how much are they paying.
The industry currently can’t support as many newcomers as people might expect because,…
Nollywood filmmaker John Njamah recently voiced his concern about the prevailing casting practices in the industry. He argued that casting decisions should prioritize an actor’s talent over their physical appearance or social media popularity.
In an exclusive interview, Njamah, a Nollywood veteran, gave insightful commentary on the current state and future trajectory of Nigerian cinema.
Known for his role as Rabiu in the popular TV soap opera “Fuji House of Commotion,” Njamah has also graced the screens of numerous television shows.
Interestingly, the shows he has featured in include “Tinsel,” “Living In Lagos,” “Solitaire,” “Casino,” “Emerald,” “Tide,” and “My Flatmates.”
During the interview, Njamah talked about his filmmaking journey. He emphasized his unwavering passion for the industry and his aspirations for its continued development.
“What is fuelling me is beyond passion. There’s that knack and need to grow with every month, whatever year. There’s that need to.do something different. This industry of ours is for you to do whatever you want to do and not join the bandwagon. So for me, it’s the originality in me and the need to do something right that is fuelling me Basically, it’s the ever-creative venture in me,” he said.
Njamah discussed how African stories are evolving. Furthermore, he emphasized that positive and negative changes have happened over the years.
“There’s a positive aspect and there’s a negative aspect. There’s a technical input. We’re telling our stories better technically. We’re telling better and bigger stories. The negative is that we are beginning to lose our originality. We are beginning to join the bandwagon to tell what is peculiar to other people and not to us. We are beginning to lose a bit of our identity cos there’s no longer us,” he said.
What’s more, Njamah spoke about casting in the industry. He pointed out differences between the industry during his time and the current climate, especially with casting.
“Fuji House was a one-camera shoot with hungry and passionate people. Now we have people who cast people who are beautiful and with Barbie bodies and followership and not necessarily for your talents. Some of us try to be that original because that’s where better stories are told. You want to tell stories with passionate people. Whether you like it or not, it’s a long shot but it’s possible. You want to give the actors that are worthy of the job and not the ones that are based on Instagram followers. We borrow from society and give back to society by way of entertainment and pedagogical values.”
Further, he criticized the lack of professional work ethic among filmmakers in Nollywood. He highlighted the absence of a robust system to evaluate the performance and accountability of producers within the industry.
“Professionalism is lacking. Respect for those in charge, humility and the like is lacking today. The industry lacks checks and balances. Every Tom, Dck and Harry can wake up and call themselves a producer and just get on board and be doing stuff without being checked and of course, the guild system is not working so they can’t check. There are no criteria for who should become a producer. The system is also not working. Let’s just be mindful as producers, directors and actors,” he added.
In conclusion, John Njamah acknowledged the unique character of Nollywood. Meanwhile, he proposed the creation of a domestic platform to market and distribute Nigerian films. Consequently, this would reduce reliance on foreign streaming services.
“That thing that they don’t like about us is what makes us, us. I am tired of people saying they don’t want to come into the country for coproduction cos we’re that and that and why are we relying on the likes of the streamers? Why can’t we do something that is for us by us so that they will come to us and ask for these things? We are solely depending on them to licence our movies, for survival. Speaking of coproduction, if you tell me you don’t want to come into the country for any reason, I’ll tell you you’re wrong, cos there are amazing producers here that you’ve seen their work. All you need to do is come to them and agree on modalities.”
