Nneka Ogwumike announced on Wednesday that she will retire from the WNBA at the end of the 2026 season. The Los Angeles Sparks forward, who won a championship and MVP with the franchise in 2016, is one of the most accomplished and influential players in league history, both on and off the court. She was selected by the Sparks with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft.
She made an immediate impact, winning the Rookie of the Year award in her maiden season. While the Sparks are all but officially eliminated from postseason contention this year, Ogwumike is still playing some of the best basketball of her career, averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. The 36-year-old was named to her 11th All-Star team this season, adding to a decorated résumé that includes eight All-WNBA selections, seven All-Defensive Team selections and a spot on the WNBA's 25th anniversary team, which honored the top 25 players in league history.
Ogwumike is fourth on the WNBA's all-time scoring list (7,879), third in rebounds (3,565) and seventh in steals (707). "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," Ogwumike said in a statement. With the Sparks (12-23) out of the playoff hunt, Ogwumike has nine games remaining in her WNBA career.
Her WNBA finale is set to come at home against the Valkyries on Sept. 24. "There is no telling the story of the WNBA's recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike," the WNBA 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. 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.
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