It has been a disappointing season thus far for the Los Angeles Sparks as they currently sit 12th in the WNBA Conference standings with a 12-23 record.
Of course, the Sparks entered the season with high expectations after signing Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler in the offseason to join their core of Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby and Cameron Brink.
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Despite this, Los Angeles has failed to live up to those expectations and the team also elected to make a major move at the trade deadline as they sent Plum to the Phoenix Mercury.
With the Sparks looking to retool their roster and return to being contenders in the coming years, they will now have to replace another key piece this offseason following an announcement made Wednesday.
Nneka Ogwumike to Retire After 2026 WNBA Season
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On Wednesday, Ogwumike announced that she will retire at the end of the season as her WNBA career will come to an end.
Her announcement came on the newest episode of Boardroom Talks, where Ogwumike told Taylor Rooks that her 15th season in the WNBA will be her last.
“I feel very fulfilled with the 15 years 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,” Ogwumike told Rooks.
This is a massive announcement by Ogwumike as her legendary WNBA career is now set to come to an end at the end of the season.
Of course, Ogwumike was selected first overall in the 2012 WNBA draft by the Sparks and she took the league by storm immediately, winning the 2012 Rookie of the Year award.
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She spent the first 12 seasons of her career with the Sparks, helping them win a championship in 2016, the same season she captured her only career WNBA MVP award.
In 2024, Ogwumike signed a contract with the Seattle Storm where she played two seasons before returning to Los Angeles for her 15th and final WNBA season.
Over her career, Ogwumike has been an 11-time All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA selection, seven-time All-Defensive selection and she was also named to the WNBA’s W25 list in 2021 as she was recognized as being one of the top-25 players in league history.
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This season, the 36-year-old forward is averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 38.75 from three.
The future Hall of Famer will look to finish her 15th and final season in the WNBA on a strong note, while the Sparks will face the difficult task of filling a major hole on their roster this offseason.
