LeBron passes torch to WNBA star to lead voting organization: ‘It’s only right that this election be about women athletes’

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike is set to become the new leader of a voting organization called More Than a Vote, which was founded by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James several years ago.

More Than a Vote was founded at a time when athletes like James said they were starting to take a closer look at how they could use their platforms. There was a focus on securing Black people voting access in light of the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, both of which occurred in the year 2020.

Women’s rights have been a hotly contested subject ahead of the upcoming election, and Ogwumike seems focused on informing folks about this topic.

“It’s more than just abortion,” Ogwumike said. “It’s all about educating people about all the different roles that exist in society that support and protect the freedoms of women when it comes to family planning, I.V.F., birth control, everything. There’s just a lot that’s at stake.”

Ogwumike may be slated to lead the way for More Than a Vote, but this isn’t the first time she has gotten involved politically. For example, she volunteered to be a poll worker in 2020, when Joe Biden won the election in question.

In an email, James touched on passing the torch to Ogwumike and gave her some high praise. Additionally, James explained exactly why he decided to launch More Than a Vote four years ago.

“I started More Than a Vote to give athletes a place to educate themselves and get active authentically to who we are,” James said in an email. “It’s only right that this election be about women athletes. We’re all following their lead right now and Nneka is the perfect person for this election. I’m excited to support her vision.”

Ogwumike has seemingly been hard at work trying to recruit more WNBA players to join More Than a Vote, as she has already recruited Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, just to name a few.

The 34-year-old is in the midst of a highly successful 2024 regular season, her maiden season in Seattle. Ogwumike has started every one of the 22 games she’s appeared in for the Storm thus far. She’s averaging 17.4 points per game on 52.4 percent shooting from the field and 41.0 percent shooting from 3-point range to go along with 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 steals per contest.

Her play on both ends of the court is a big reason why the Storm currently own one of the better records of any team in the WNBA at the moment. At 17-8, Seattle is in a tie with the Minnesota Lynx for the Western Conference’s top record.