LOS ANGELES -- This game pretty much sums up the 2026 season.
The Sparks led, 72-62, with over two minutes left. And then the Golden State Valkyries were able to take it all back in that amount of time. They rang off 14 straight points to make it 76-72. Nneka Ogwumike missed a foul shot that would've cut it to three after an away from the play foul and Rae Burrell 's three at the buzzer provided the final tally of the final regular season game of 2026, which turned out to be the final game of Ogwumike's career. 76-75 , Valkyries, was the end score.
There wasn't much Sparks coach Lynne Roberts could say about that finish.
"They made plays and made some deep threes," Roberts said. "Uh, I thought we defended the three-point line so well all game. They just got a couple down. (Gabby) Williams hit a couple in the last minute or whatever. Um, so it's a heartbreaker."
With no more challenges left, Roberts opined that there were some missed calls at the end of the game.
"We got fouled in our last possession," Roberts said. "That was the game and maybe we shouldn't have put ourselves in situation for it to be that close but that didn't feel fair. It felt a little wrong."
Roberts also got a technical with 11 seconds to go as they were down, 73-72, and an imminent Valkyries possession. Rae Burrell missed a lay-up and Ogwumike missed a short jumper before the T.
"I didn't know I got a technical," Roberts said. "I didn't know I got one until I was like, 'Wait, who's the technical on? I didn't see it happen. Obviously, that's my bad but I didn't even know I had gotten it. But at that juncture of the game, Rae got fouled, Nneka got fouled, no call. And I'll get in trouble for saying it but watch it. It's a foul. And that cost us the game."
While the Sparks would've loved to win the game for Ogwumike, the team still had a postgame ceremony to celebrate her. Sparks President Stacy Johns announced a room in the upcoming Sparks facility in honor of the retiring star.
"At the heart of that space will be our player sanctuary and I am incredibly proud to announce that it will forever carry the name of someone who has meant so much to this organization and to the generations of Sparks players: the Nneka Ogwumike Players' Sanctuary," Johns said dring the ceremony.
A tearful Ogwumike would go on and do her speech. But in classic Nneka fashion, she immediately held herself accountable for the missed plays at the end of the game.
"I just got to get this out the way," Ogwumike started her speech. "I should have made that free throw. And I should have made the putback a couple possessions before that."
Ogwumike talked about her relationship with the city of Los Angeles, the players that came before her, the team, and the fans in a speech that was over eight minutes long.
"Keep supporting the W. Keep supporting the Sparks," Ogwumike told the home crowd. "Every little thing that you do, it helps women's basketball grow. Don't think that you can't be a part of this because you all are the reason why we're able to sit here, play this game, play our worth, and continue to change history. I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is goodbye, not forever, but I'm always going to be your L.A. Spark. So I love you guys. Thank you."
Kaitlyn Chen scored 14 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter while Veronica Burton scored 17. Gabby Williams ' late run got her to 14 points.
"A legend of the game," Burton said about Ogwumike before the game. "What she has been able to do for us outside of the court, you know with the CBA, her being the President of our Union... she does so much for us. So really grateful I got the chance to even be in the league while she was in it and play against her. Just grateful."
Ogwumike led the Sparks with a double-double (because, of course, she did) with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Dearica Hamby and Burrell each scored 15.
The offseason starts for the Sparks, who finish the season at 16-28. But for the first time in a long time, the offseason will be without Nneka Ogwumike in the league. It truly is an end of an era.
The league is better now after Nneka Ogwumike played in it. A force in women's sports will be missed on the court. But knowing her true worth, she will make her impact in other ways within the game and outside the game.
Nneka is one of one, after all.
