LeBron James Passes Leadership of ‘More Than a Vote’ to WNBA Star Nneka Ogwumike

More Than a Vote is getting new leadership, and a new focus.

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The non-profit voting rights initiative founded by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will turn its attention to women’s rights and reproductive freedom for the 2024 election, with James passing the leadership baton to WNBA Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike.

More Than a Vote has also assembled a coalition of female athletes to help educate audiences about the threat facing women’s rights. The athletes involved include fellow basketball players Cameron Brink, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Lisa Leslie, Jewell Lloyd, Chiney Ogwumike, Kiki Rice, Breanna Stewart, Sheryl Swoopes and A’ja Wilson, as well as the NWSL’s Madison Hammond.

“Women’s sports have experienced incredible growth over the course of my 13-year career in the WNBA. But over that very same span, I’ve watched legislators chip away at my rights and the rights of every  athlete who make these teams and leagues shine,” said Ogwumike in a statement. “We cannot stand idly by as women’s freedoms slip away, and that’s why I’m taking a lead through More Than A Vote to educate and prompt action around this issue. ‘We Decide Our Future’ sends a very clear message: no one else should have the power to make decisions over our bodies and our healthcare.”

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More Than a Vote was founded in 2020 “as a call to action from LeBron James to Black athletes after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor,” the organization notes. The group advocated for criminal justice reform and opposed police violence, while also combating voter suppression by recruiting poll workers and helping turn 10 arenas into voting sites, while working with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

For 2024, however, it is women’s rights that are top of mind for many, so the organization, now under the leadership of Ogwumike, “will partner with Reproductive Freedom for All Foundation to exclusively focus on women’s rights and reproductive freedoms with support from Athletes for Impact.”

The organization outlined its new focus in a video Tuesday:

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