Nneka Ogwumike is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks after two seasons with the Seattle Storm, agreeing to a free-agent deal with her original franchise.
Nneka Ogwumike is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks after spending two seasons with the Seattle Storm.
The veteran forward agreed to a free-agent deal Friday, according to ESPN's Chiney Ogwumike, her sister, with Ogwumike's agent also confirming the move.
Friday morning, Ogwumike posted a 45-second video — Sparks highlights rolling across the screen to share her excitement for rejoining the Sparks: "It was always see you later, now I'll see you soon..."
Returning to build on a 12-year Sparks tenure, Ogwumike was selected No. 1 overall by the Sparks in 2012 and went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors, 10 All-Star selections, 8 All-WNBA nods, and 7 All-Defensive Team selections during her career. She won the WNBA title and MVP award in 2016 and was named to the WNBA's 25th Anniversary Team in 2021. In 437 career games, she has averaged 16.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 53.9 percent from the field.
Ogwumike averaged 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds across 81 games with the Storm. She is coming off a dynamic season, averaging 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Her production earned Second Team All-WNBA honors, but Seattle was eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs.
The writing was on the wall in Seattle once Quinn was let go. Seattle hired Sonia Raman as Quinn's replacement in October. Quinn has since joined Unrivaled as head coach of the Breeze Basketball Club.
The court wasn't the only place Ogwumike was busy this offseason. As president of the WNBA Players' Association, she presided over the league's collective bargaining negotiations, helping secure a transformational new deal that saw average player salaries rise to nearly four times what they were under the previous agreement.
Ogwumike joins a Sparks roster that includes guard Kelsey Plum, who received the franchise tag this offseason, and Cameron Brink. While Azurá Stevens left for the Chicago Sky, Dearica Hamby has committed to re-sign.
The Sparks are looking to end a five-year playoff drought, the longest in franchise history. The signing comes amid the busiest offseason in league history, with approximately 80 percent of WNBA players entering free agency.