On June 2, before the Los Angeles Sparks took on the Las Vegas Aces, I conducted an exclusive interview with Nneka Ogwumike and asked her how many more seasons she thought she had left.
Her response was short.
“I don’t know,” Ogwumike said.
Well, two months later, she knows.
On Tuesday morning, in an interview with Boardroom’s Taylor Rooks, Ogwumike shocked the basketball world by announcing that her WNBA career would be over at the end of this season.
Via a Sparks press release, Ogwumike elaborated on her looming retirement:
I’ve learned there’s power in knowing when to walk away. For so long, that strength meant finding a way to keep pushing. Now, it means recognizing when you feel complete. I find myself grateful, fulfilled, and at peace with everything this game has given me and everything I’ve poured into it.
As Ogwumike is one of the league’s most legendary players, as well as the WNBPA president, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert congratulated Ogwumike on retirement, releasing a statement that read:
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 excellence, 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.
Ogwumike accomplished everything possible in the WNBA.
She was the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 WNBA Draft by the Sparks. Ogwumike was selected to an All-WNBA team on eight occasions, in addition to achieving 11 All-Star honors—including in 2026. That’s tied for the second-most All-Star appearances ever in the WNBA. She was MVP in 2016, the same season where she helped led the Sparks to the organization’s last championship.
This year, in her return to the Sparks after two seasons with the Seattle Storm, Ogwumike is averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Her most notable moment was her game-winner against the Liberty. She also became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
Following the announcement of her retirement, Ogwumike received an infinite amount of social media flowers, headlined by love from her sister Chiney.
While Ogwumike’s WNBA career is coming to an end, her playing time isn’t. According toColin Salao of Front Office Sports, Ogwumike will still play in Project B in 2027.
Ogwumike will also remain WNBPA president until executive committee elections are held at the end of the calendar year, as The IX Sports’ Jackie Powell reported.
Now that her retirement is official, her end is clear. Ogwumike will play nine more games with the Sparks, and her final one will be on Sept. 24 in Los Angeles against the Golden State Valkyries.
