Chiney Ogwumike Gets Her Own Podcast

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Chiney Ogwumike Gets Her Own Podcast

Photo of Dave Nagle Dave Nagle Follow on Twitter June 7, 2021

SportsCenter’s Elle Duncan to Join First Take, Her Take 

ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike, a familiar face on a variety of ESPN programs and co-host of a weekday radio show, will launch her own podcast, Chiney, starting Tuesday, June 8.   

The weekly Chiney will discuss current events in the sports world, primarily through the lens of an active professional athlete. Chiney’s personality, energy and charisma will carry the show, leaving the listener more educated on each topic at hand.  Each podcast episode will open with a short monologue to introduce the main topic or theme, and most will feature a guest.  Full video of all episodes will be available on the ESPN YouTube Channel. 

Ogwumike, 29, is a starter for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and was the 2014 league rookie of the year.  She first worked for ESPN in 2017 and in August 2020 began hosting Chiney and Golic Jr. on ESPN Radio, becoming the first Black woman to host a national, daily sports-talk radio show.   

“First Take, Her Take has been an amazing experience where my co-hosts Kimberley A. Martin and Charly Arnolt instantly became my sisters,” Ogwumike said.  “I’ll miss it dearly, but now it is time for me to pass the rock to my teammate Elle Duncan who is going to be a slam dunk.   

“As a current professional athlete and broadcaster,” she continued.  “I love bringing people real insight from inside the world of sports.  I am hyped to now have a platform to amplify the voices of my peers and help bridge the gap between athletes and fans.”  

Elle Duncan, co-anchor of the 6 p.m. ET SportsCenter, will replace Ogwumike on the weekly First Take, Her Take podcast, working with hosts Arnolt and Martin.  “I do not take for granted the opportunity to work with these ladies on this particular project,” said Duncan.  “The perspective is unique, the conversations engaging and honestly the sisterhood is so strong with this crew!  No one can replace Chiney but I plan on shouting out Nigeria AT LEAST once an episode in her honor!” 

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Photo of Dave Nagle Dave Nagle Follow on Twitter June 7, 2021
Photo of Dave Nagle

Dave Nagle

As I write this on 11-11-21, it's now 35 years for me at ESPN, the only real job I’ve ever had. I joined merely to help with the upcoming America’s Cup in Australia. I was told it would be for three months at all of $5.50 per hour. I like to say I simply kept showing up. I’ve worked on almost every sport, plus answered viewer calls and letters (people used to write!), given tours, written the company newsletter and once drove NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon to the local airport. My travels have been varied…I’ve been to Martinsville, Darlington, Indy and Super Bowls; the America’s Cup (all 3) in San Diego and College GameDay in the sport’s meccas such as Eugene, Auburn, Lubbock, Stillwater and more; the NBA Finals, Wimbledon (16 times and counting) and the “other Bristol,” the one with a race track in Tennessee. These days, my main areas are tennis, UFC, boxing, network-wide ratings (by month/quarter/year), and corporate communications documents, including fact sheets, chronologies, lists and nearly 35 of the Year in Review press releases. UPDATE EXACTLY ONE YEAR LATER: Today, November 11, 2022, I am retiring from ESPN -- 36 years to the day I began. As I ride off into the sunset – top down and E Street Radio blaring – I do so with so many wonderful memories, proud of my contributions and a heart full of gratitude for the opportunity. 
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