Los Angeles Sparks' Nneka Ogwumike wins third straight sportsmanship award

Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike has been named the recipient of the 2021 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, the WNBA announced Sunday.

This is an unprecedented third straight sportsmanship award for Ogwumike, who is the president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association and helped lead a collective bargaining agreement in 2020. She has also been at the forefront of the league's social justice movements.

Ogwumike received 19 votes from a national panel of 49 sportswriters and broadcasters. The Atlanta Dream's Elizabeth Williams finished second with eight votes, and Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins and Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner tied for third with four votes each.

A six-time WNBA All-Star and the 2016 league MVP, Ogwumike led the Sparks with 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 18 games this season despite battling a knee injury.

The sportsmanship award is given to a player who "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity," according to the WNBA. The award is named for the late Kim Perrot, who helped the Houston Comets win two WNBA championships (1997, '98) before being diagnosed with lung cancer in January 1999 and dying that summer.