In a week that saw Diana Taurasi honored for her achievements with the Phoenix Mercury via her No. 3 get raised to the rafters of the Mortgage Matchup Center, another WNBA great is preparing to call it a career.
That WNBA great is Nneka Ogwumike. Only a few weeks after she participated in her 11th All-Star Game, she announced on Boardroom that the 2026 season will, indeed, be her final campaign in the W.
Last month was not only when Ogwumike once again was named to a WNBA All-Star Game it was also when she turned 36 years old. On paper, 36 sounds like a relatively young age to put one’s jersey away for good, but that time does arrive for every athlete.
There is no telling the story of the WNBA’s recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike. Her extraordinary career has been defined not only by excellent, but by the way she has led and lifted those around her. She is a champion and MVP, one of the most accomplished players of all time, and a fierce competitor who has represented the very best our game has to offer. For 15 seasons, Nneka has led with grace and conviction, competed with an unmistakable spark, and carried herself with a generosity and thoughtfulness that have earned the admiration of everyone across our game.Nneka will retire at the end of this season leaving the WNBA much better than she found it – a testament not only to the player she has been, but to the person and leader she is. I have been fortunate to work closely with Nneka over the years and have been inspired by her passion and unwavering commitment to the players. It has been a privilege to watch her remarkable journey, and while there is still more basketball to be played this season, we congratulate her on an extraordinary career and look forward to celebrating her in the months ahead.
–WNBA Statement from Commissioner Cathy Engelbert
Engelbert is correct – Ogwumike certainly will be leaving the WNBA better than when she found it – and it is much better in large part because of her. Sidenote – Engelbert putting the word “spark” in that statement was certainly a nice touch.
There are only a few games remaining in Ogwumike’s storied career, but it is clear what her legacy will be. When talking Ogwumike, it is not only about what she got accomplished on the court but what she was able to do away from it as well.
Every player goes through that phase where they morph from a young up-and-comer into a seasoned veteran. Ogwumike was drafted first overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Sans one season where she wore Seattle Storm green and gold instead of Sparks purple, teal and gold, Ogwumike has been synonymous with this era of Sparks basketball.
For the 2010s, both she and Candace Parker made up the nuclei of successful Sparks seasons. The most successful of those Los Angeles campaigns was 2016 when the Sparks defeated the Minnesota Lynx in five games to win the franchise’s third championship – and the first since 2002 when the team had Lisa Leslie paving the way to victory.
It is somewhat ironic that Ogwumike announcing her retirement occurs only a few days after Parker made her acceptance speech into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Parker mentioned in her speech how she was requested by Pat Summitt to leave a Tennessee Lady Vols practice because Summitt felt Parker was not trying hard enough for offensive rebounds.
Parker wanted to prove to Summitt that she could improve in this area of the game. She later talked about how it was an offensive board by Ogwumike that won the 2016 Sparks that season’s championship.
That was Ogwumike getting the job done on the court – as she did when she was named WNBA MVP in 2016.
As she did when she won Rookie of the Year in 2016.
As she did when she was named All-WNBA First Team that same year.
As she did when she was named to the WNBA’s All-Defensive First Team on four occasions.
As she did over the years when she became the Sparks’ all-time leading scorer.
As she did when she won gold medals at FIBA World Cups in 2014 in Turkey and 2018 in Spain.
Basketball is commonly referred to as a young person’s game. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles, Flau’jae Johnson and JuJu Watkins are names that immediately come to mind. Ogwumike displayed even this season that there is still a place for seasoned veterans to belong on the same court with the future.
Ogwumike herself displayed this even earlier this season when she drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to complete a come-from-behind win against the New York Liberty at Crypto.com Arena. She did so at All-Star as well when she was one rebound shy of a double-double. She scored 11 points, hauled in nine rebounds and dished out three assists to help Team Spoon to a 129-122 win over Team Coop.
She not only has got the job done on the court, she has done so off the court as well. The most obvious example of this has been her stewardship of the WNBPA as its president.
Nneka Ogwumike’s impact on this union, and on the women’s game cannot be overstated. Her leadership has been extraordinary. She has served this union with a level of commitment, courage, integrity, and purpose that is truly unparalleled. As President for the last decade, Nneka understood that leadership was not simply about having a seat at the table; it was about using that seat to move the game and the business of the game forward for every player – today and for generations to come. We are profoundly grateful for the countless ways Nneka has championed her teammates, strengthened this union, and helped shape its future. We celebrate her remarkable career and the next chapter ahead. Nneka’s legacy will forever be woven into the fabric of this union and women’s basketball.
–Statement from WNBA Executive Director Terri Jackson
Reports have since indicated that it is unsure if she will remain in that role even after retirement, but one cannot mention Ogwumike’s legacy without her tireless toil as a fierce advocate for the players. There is a reason as to why Ogwumike is a four-time recipient of the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award.
The massive strides that the players have achieved in recent collective bargaining agreements are in large part thanks to Ogwumike. She has been president of the WNBPA since 2016. It has already been revealed that Ogwumike will still fulfill her obligation to the debut of Project B by playing in that league’s inaugural season.
We discuss and debate regularly what an athlete’s “second act” could resemble once their playing days are in the past. Some decide to live the simple life away from the crowds, away from the constant travel and away from the media. Others decide to continue to use their platform to grow the very game they gave so much to.
Considering how impactful Ogwumike’s first act was, it is without question that she will put together one of the most impactful second act an athlete has ever had. Many have even hoped that she will put her hat in the ring to become WNBA commissioner. Considering Ogwumike’s soon-to-be former player status, if anyone can make huge strides between players and owners it is Ogwumike.
Who knows – that second act could even take her well past the realms of basketball. Only time will tell, but we know whatever it will be, she is poised for even more success.
There is a reason as to why Stanford – the alma mater of both Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike – is referred to as the Harvard of the West. We have seen how it positioned Chiney well to transition to the analyst’s desk via her work with ESPN. Tara VanDerveer has coached plenty of great players but she has to be especially proud of what Ogwumike has evolved into.
The phrase “elder stateswoman” in sports is often merely a euphemism for a veteran player. When one listened to how Ogwumike speaks in interviews, she speaks with the knowledge of an elder stateswoman of the game – and of the world.
She will be eligible for induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2029. That second act for Ogwumike will include two Hall of Fame speeches because the words “first” and “ballot” apply to her – both at Knoxville’s Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and at Springfield’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
It was a journey that began in the Houston area at Cy-Fair High School and has taken her from locker rooms to boardrooms. It is also somewhat ironic that Ogwumike’s retirement occurs right before Houston is set to rejoin the WNBA via the Connecticut Sun moving to Clutch City to become the rechristened Comets.
Not only did she become a hoops legend but also led to the Ogwumike name becoming basketball royalty. In addition to Nneka and Chiney, Erica Ogwumike and Olivia Ogwumike also have played the game.
As of this writing, there are only nine WNBA games remaining in Ogwumike’s storied career – including the final contest of the Sparks’ season. Ironically, that September 24 matchup will be opposite the Golden State Valkyries – the WNBA team from the very Bay Area that is also very near and dear to the heart of Nneka and the entire Ogwumike family.
One can guess there will be lots of Stanford Cardinal that will make the drive down Interstate 5 for that huge occasion. There likely will not be a dry eye in Crypto.com Arena once that tribute video plays. It is only fitting that in season 30 for the WNBA, No. 30 will soon put her jersey away.
Thank. You. Madame. President.
