It is now highly likely that the Los Angeles Sparks’ last regular-season game on September 24, at home against the Golden State Valkyries, might be WNBA legend Nneka Ogwumike’s final career WNBA game. The Sparks are already out of the playoffs, and the 11-time WNBA All-Star has decided to take a major step now that she won’t be able to play in the postseason.
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Ogwumike has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2026 regular season. The announcement, which ESPN’s official X page shared, was first officially made during Wednesday’s episode of the Boardroom Talks podcast hosted by Taylor Rooks.
“I am retiring from the WNBA. I never thought that I would play this long,” Ogwumike said. I feel very fulfilled with the 15 years that I’ve been able to play and compete at such a high level, and I am proud to say that I’m retiring from the WNBA.”
Nneka Ogwumike’s retirement will bring an end to a 15-season-long career that started with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012, when she was drafted first overall in the WNBA Draft. And so far, it’s indeed been a fulfilling career, with 11 All-Star appearances, eight All-WNBA selections, seven All-Defensive Team selections, one league MVP award, and a WNBA championship with the Sparks in 2016.
Beyond the accolades, Ogwumike is also retiring as the fourth WNBA all-time scorer with 7,879 points, third in rebounds with 3,565 rebounds, and seventh in steals with 707 steals.
Nneka Ogwumike successfully built her legacy as one of the most consistent and impactful two-way players in basketball history. And with her role as the President of the WNBPA since 2016 and her monumental, primary role in shaping the historic 2020 and 2026 CBAs, she also leaves behind a leadership legacy that will forever be remembered in the history of the WNBA.
In fact, according to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, the recent growth that the WNBA has experienced simply cannot be discussed without acknowledging Ogwumike’s immense contributions, both as a player and as a leader.
“There is no telling the story of the WNBA’s recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike,” Engelbert said in a statement. “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.”
And even though this season has turned out to be her last in the league, Ogwumike hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. In fact, she has continued to operate at an elite level, averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game across 34 games. For her, retirement is knowing when the time is right to step away, as Nneka Ogwumike said in her statement.
“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.”
The countdown has now begun, with the grand finale potentially coming at the Sparks’ very own home ground against the Valkyries on September 24. After 15 remarkable seasons, the end of one of the WNBA’s greatest careers is now firmly in sight.