Despite a historic night where Nneka Ogwumike officially climbed into the top five of the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, the Los Angeles Sparks veteran still walked away feeling she could have done more. And she didn’t hold back in expressing that disappointment, even as the praise came pouring in around her.

Speaking to WNBA legend Candace Parker and the other hosts on the WNBA on Prime show following the Sparks’ victory over the Phoenix Mercury, Ogwumike simply couldn’t compartmentalize the milestone from the performance that surrounded it.

“Candace knows me. Yeah, there was some milestone hit tonight, but I wasn’t happy with how I played. I need to do a little bit better. I’m all about efficiency, so I’m going to be better for my team,” she said.

By her own elite standards, the frustration was understandable. Nneka Ogwumike finished the game with 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists. And her contributions helped the Sparks secure a 97–88 victory over the Mercury. But the manner in which those 12 points came was one of the things that bothered her.

She shot just 3-of-11 from the field, a 27.2% clip. For a player whose career field goal percentage rests just under 54%, a night where she couldn’t even crack 30% from the floor explains exactly why the milestone couldn’t fully override her competitive dissatisfaction.

But regardless of how the points came, the record is official. Ogwumike is now the fifth-highest scorer in WNBA history, crossing the 7,383-point threshold.

She entered the game needing just 10 points to surpass Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings, who sits at 7,380. Her 12-point night cleared that mark and etched her name permanently into that rarefied company.

Looking ahead on the all-time list, the names above her offer some perspective on just how elite the group she has now joined truly is. Tina Thompson sits fourth with 7,488 points.

She is followed by DeWanna Bonner with 7,864. Then Tina Charles with 8,396, and the seemingly untouchable Diana Taurasi at the summit with 10,646. At 35, climbing further up that list will be a significant challenge.

For now, fifth all-time is a legacy worthy of every ounce of praise. She was just too competitive to fully accept on the night it happened.

Nneka Ogwumike Credits Candace Parker and Sparks Legends for Shaping Her Career

Also speaking in that same postgame interview, Nneka Ogwumike used the platform to look back and acknowledge the people who helped shape the career that brought her to this milestone. She did so with the warmth and humor of someone who has never forgotten where it all started.

“It’s not hard to get better when you’re guarding Candace every day,” she said with a laugh, directing the comment straight at Parker, who was interviewing her as one of the show’s hosts.

Ogwumike played alongside Candace Parker for 9 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks from 2012 through 2020. In fact, it was a partnership that covered the entire first half of her professional career, beginning from the very day of the WNBA draft. As Ogwumike herself put it, “that is really where it first started.”

Parker’s work ethic and professional standard left an imprint that Nneka has carried with her ever since. “I know how it was when we first got to LA, and I take that very seriously. I saw your work ethic,” she told Parker.

But Parker wasn’t the only Sparks legend Ogwumike credited with shaping who she became. She also paid tribute to a group of veterans whose examples she absorbed during her formative professional years.

“I saw Ebbs, Digs, DMJs, I saw Abs. That’s something I use to model how I am as a pro,” she said, referencing Ebony Hoffman, DeMya Walker, DeLisha Milton-Jones, and Alana Beard, respectively.

And the results of absorbing all those influences clearly reflected in the career she has constructed. A WNBA champion, ten-time All-Star, and former league MVP, Ogwumike’s résumé is one of the most decorated in the sport’s history. 

What makes it even more remarkable is that she is still contributing at a high level at 35, a longevity she attributes directly to her willingness to evolve. “The point forward is evolving. I try my best to stay in shape, stay adept, and evolve my game,” she said.

It’s a philosophy she learned from watching the legends before her. And she is now passing it on to the next generation of players, watching her do the same.