Two-time WNBA All-Star, former Rookie of the Year and ESPN host Chiney Ogwumike is set to produce a new comedy series based on the WNBA entitled The W. The 30-minute series will be the first scripted show centered on the WNBA and will follow a rookie player and her inexperienced agent as they navigate the ups and downs of women’s professional basketball. Loosely inspired by Ogwumike’s real experience in the world of basketball, the series draws from her early years in the WNBA and her longtime relationship with agent and business partner Allison Galer, whom she hired to be her rep when Galer was just 24 years old.
Ogwumike was drafted first overall in the 2014 WNBA draft by the Connecticut Sun and later traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019. In 2020, she signed a contract with ESPN, becoming the first Black woman to host a national radio show for the network. She subsequently launched her own women-focused production company, Victorious, alongside her business partner Galer. The W is the company’s debut project and reflects its mission to elevate and amplify women’s voices in media.
“One of the most invaluable lessons that I have learned as a professional athlete, broadcaster, and ambassador is that we no longer have to wait for opportunities, we can create them. We are in an era where barriers are being broken, ceilings are being shattered and the world is finally taking notice. And with our groundbreaking first project, we will bring the main topic to the mainstream. In that spirit, Victorious is a purpose-driven platform that will forge new pathways for us to celebrate our own wins.” – Chiney Ogwumike
This isn’t her first foray into storytelling though, as she was behind ESPN’s 144 documentary that chronicled the 2020 WNBA season, which was played in a “bubble” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The documentary also explored the decision to use the WNBA’s platform to champion social justice amid a time of national reckoning.
Though a release date for The W has not yet been announced, Victorious has already signed a deal with the streaming service Peacock. Stay tuned for updates as it prepares to make its debut, bringing a new era of women’s sports entertainment and storytelling to audiences.
