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Nneka Ogwumike Delivers Emotional Message After Final WNBA Game
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- Nneka Ogwumike Delivers Emotional Message After Final WNBA Game
(Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images)
Sparks president Stacy Johns announced Thursday night that the player sanctuary at the team's new practice facility will be named after Nneka Ogwumike . The announcement came at a postgame ceremony at Crypto.com Arena that closed Ogwumike's 15-year WNBA career.
The news brought Ogwumike, 36, to tears. Her parents consoled her on the floor after the final buzzer.
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Minutes earlier, Los Angeles lost 76-75 to the Golden State Valkyries , who scored 17 of the game's final 21 points. She had 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in the loss.
The double-double was her 19th this season, a Sparks single-season record. Her career total of 134 ranks sixth in league history.
Ogwumike Wanted Final Win for Sparks Fans
Ogwumike wanted Thursday's win for the fans in the building and for the players beside her.
"I just gotta get this out of the way: I should've made that free throw," Ogwumike said, according to The Associated Press . "And I should've made the putback a couple possessions before that. You guys know me. I wanted that for you guys, I wanted that for my teammates. But I wouldn't go down any other way, which is competing hard here in L.A. against some great competition."
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Thursday closed her 13th season in Los Angeles. Ogwumike came back to the Sparks this year on a one-year, $950,000 contract after two seasons with the Seattle Storm .
"I left my heart out here on the floor," Ogwumike explained, according to Just Women's Sports . "It's such a privilege and an honor to be in this league, to be a woman in sports, and especially to wear the Sparks jersey."
Sparks Celebrate Ogwumike's Legacy
Before the tip, fans found T-shirts on every seat in the arena with the words "The Spark" across the front. The ceremony included a tribute video from her sister and former teammate, Chiney Ogwumike, and recognition from former Sparks teammates Candace Parker and Essence Carson.
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Los Angeles took Ogwumike first overall in the 2012 draft out of Stanford. She leaves as the franchise's all-time leader in points, field goals made, steals, and double-doubles.
"This is goodbye, not forever, but I'm always gonna be your L.A. Spark, so I love you guys," Ogwumike said.
She was the 2012 Rookie of the Year. Four years later, Ogwumike won league MVP and led Los Angeles to the 2016 championship.
Her 11 All-Star selections are tied for the second-most in league history. She also made eight All-WNBA teams and seven All-Defensive teams, and she was named to The W25, the league's list of its 25 greatest players, at the WNBA's 25th anniversary.
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Ogwumike Leaves WNBA With Historic Career
When she announced her retirement Aug. 19, Ogwumike ranked fourth in league history in points. She ranked third in rebounds.
She made the announcement in an interview with Taylor Rooks for Boardroom Talks.
"I've learned there's power in knowing when to walk away," Ogwumike said in a statement released by the Sparks . "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."
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Ogwumike has been president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association since 2016. She led the union through collective bargaining agreement negotiations in 2020 and 2026, and players re-elected her to a fourth term in June. The 2026 agreement raised the average WNBA salary to about $600,000, according to Front Office Sports.
Ogwumike's Playing Career Will Continue Outside WNBA
Her playing career is not finished. Ogwumike will play for Project B, a new global league planning to debut in January, a league source told Front Office Sports .
The Sparks finished 16-28 and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
