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Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike is retiring from the WNBA next month — and though she spoke of feeling “fulfilled” after 15 WNBA seasons, her announcement Wednesday has stunned many around the league.
Ogwumike, who has played for the Sparks and the Seattle Storm in a decorated career, told Boardroom’s Taylor Rooks that she never imagined playing 15 years in The W, but she is glad to be retiring from the league on her terms.
The former MVP said that while her body has been telling her to slow down, she still feels physically well and is enjoying the process of “slowing down” after more than 500 professional games between the WNBA regular season and the playoffs.
“I feel very content with where I’ve left my career,” WNBPA president Ogwumike told Rooks. “I feel very content about what we were able to achieve coming into this season (with the new CBA), where we see the league today.”
Ogwumike, who played the first 12 years of her career with the Sparks before returning to Los Angeles as a free agent in April, is still playing at an elite level — which is why her decision to walk away is so surprising.
Ogwumike was a second-team All-WNBA selection as recently as last year, and a second-team All-Defense selection only two seasons ago. She is averaging 16.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in Los Angeles, leading the Sparks in both categories since the franchise traded away Kelsey Plum earlier this month.
Even at 35 years old, Ogwumike has played 34 of a possible 35 games in 2026. Last month, she was named an All-Star for the 11th time — and for the fifth year in a row.
Earlier this season, Ogwumike passed Tina Thompson for fourth on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list; her 7,879 career points are second among all active players, right behind Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner. With a strong finish, Ogwumike will end her career as one of just four players to record at least 8,000 career points
Ogwumike also is the WNBA’s active leader in career rebounds: she is third on the all-time list with 3,565 boards.
While she still has a commitment to the ambitious Project B league tipping off next year, the body of work Ogwumike will leave behind — as well as her two FIBA Basketball World Cup wins with Team USA — should ensure her election to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee.
