Nneka Ogwumike to retire after 2026 WNBA season
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- Nneka Ogwumike announced her retirement effective at the end of the 2026 season, 15 years after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2012 by the Los Angeles Sparks; she is a 2016 MVP, 11-time All-Star (tied for second most in league history) and 8-time All-WNBA selection averaging 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
- The Sparks are 7.5 games back of the 8-seed with nine games remaining; if Los Angeles misses the postseason, Ogwumike's final game will be Sept. 24 at Crypto.com Arena against the Golden State Valkyries.
- WNBPA president since 2016 and re-elected to a fourth term in June, Ogwumike helped negotiate this season's CBA — which delivered the largest single-CBA salary increase in professional sports — and will remain union president until a year-end election.
- Cathy Engelbert said "there is no telling the story of the WNBA's recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike," adding she is "one of the most accomplished players of all time" and that Ogwumike "led with grace and conviction."
- Ogwumike became the first player to sign with Project B, a new women's basketball league launching globally in January that a source told ESPN she still intends to play in; she also told Boardroom Talks she wouldn't "close doors" on someday becoming WNBA commissioner, while joking "I do appreciate vacation."
Why it matters: The Sparks lose their all-time leader in scoring, field goals made, steals and double-doubles while trailing the 8-seed by 7.5 games with nine remaining, making Sept. 24 against the Valkyries her likely farewell. The WNBPA also needs a new president before a year-end election, months after Ogwumike helped deliver pro sports' largest single-CBA salary jump.
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