Los Angeles Sparks legend Nneka Ogwumike has announced that she is retiring at the end of the season.
The end of an era is near for Los Angeles Sparks legend Nneka Ogwumike when it comes to her playing career.
Ogwumike announced Wednesday via "Boardroom Talks" that she will retire at the end of the 2026 season.
Originally the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft, she began her career with the Sparks and spent her first 12 seasons in the league there. She broke away for a couple of years in 2024 and 2025 to play for the Seattle Storm, but she then returned to the Sparks for a homecoming in the 2026 season.
Now that her retirement plans are known, it's poetic that she's finishing her career where it all started.
Ogwumike is one of the most accomplished players in WNBA history and undoubtedly on her way to the Hall of Fame. Her resume includes an MVP award, WNBA title, 11 All-Star selections, eight All-WNBA nods and seven All-Defense bids.
Her MVP season came in the same year she helped the Sparks win the WNBA title in 2016. That season, she averaged 19.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 66.5 percent from the field. The championship marked the third in Sparks history and their first since 2002.
Nowadays, even at 36 years old, Ogwumike remains a high-level player. She is currently averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Unfortunately, the Sparks are well below .500 at 12-23 and appear to be on their way to missing the postseason for a sixth consecutive year.
Off the court, Ogwumike has also made a major impact in her career. In 2024, she took over leadership of "More Than a Vote," a nonprofit organization founded by NBA legend LeBron James that advocates for Black voting rights and other social issues.
Ogwumike has also served as WNBPA president since 2016, where she has helped lead negotiations for multiple collective bargaining agreements, including the transformative deal that came together earlier this year that was considered a major win for players.
The veteran has taken home four Sportsmanship awards and two Community Assist awards during her time in the league.
While the Sparks' struggles this season will likely keep Ogwumike from reaching the playoffs one last time, she has checked just about every box in the book during her WNBA tenure and deserves to be celebrated over the final stretch of her career. Her legacy will certainly be remembered in WNBA history.
