Ogwumike WNBA MVP

Nneka Ogwumike shot her way to the WNBA most valuable player award for the first time.

The league announced Tuesday that the Los Angeles Sparks forward received 31 of the 39 first-place votes from a national media panel. She shot a league-best 66.5 percent from the field, the second-highest mark in league history. She averaged a career-best 19.7 points and 9.1 rebounds to help Los Angeles secure the second-best record in the league.

Ogwumike also set a WNBA record when she made 23 consecutive field goals in one stretch, including going 12 for 12 in a game against Dallas.

“This season has come together quite nicely and this award is reflective of that,” Ogwumike said.

New York’s Tina Charles finished second and got the other eight first-place votes. She was followed by Minnesota’s Maya Moore and Chicago’s Elena Delle Donne in the voting.