Nneka Ogwumike signs off with a double-double
The former MVP and champion, daughter of Nigerian parents, played her final WNBA game in Los Angeles after 15 seasons.
By SitesNG Sports Desk · · 2 min read
One of the greatest players of Nigerian heritage in basketball history has played her last game. Nneka Ogwumike finished her 15-season WNBA career on Thursday 24 September 2026 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists for the Sparks.
It was not quite the ending she wanted. The Sparks led 69-57 with under five minutes left, but the Golden State Valkyries finished on a 17-4 run and won 76-75, with Gabby Williams hitting a late three. The win clinched the No. 2 playoff seed for Golden State; the Sparks finished 16-28.
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“I left my heart out here on the floor.”
Nneka Ogwumike, speaking to the crowd
A career of firsts
Ogwumike was the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft and Rookie of the Year. In 2016 she was the league's Most Valuable Player and led the Sparks to the WNBA title. She made 11 All-Star teams, retires as the Sparks' all-time leading scorer and served as president of the players' union from 2016. Her final double-double was the 134th of her career, sixth on the all-time list.
The Nigeria connection
Nneka means "mother is supreme" in Igbo. She is the eldest of four sisters, including former WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike. Nneka wanted to play for D'Tigress, but FIBA turned down her requests three times, the last in October 2025, partly because she had already won World Cups with the United States.
The numbers
Ogwumike played college basketball at Stanford before her 15 WNBA seasons, most of them with Los Angeles and two with Seattle in 2024 and 2025. She averaged about 16.7 points and 7.5 rebounds over her career, made eight All-WNBA teams and was named in the league's W25 list of its greatest players in 2021. She returned to the Sparks for her final season in 2026.
The Sparks will name their new practice facility after her. Follow the Nigerian women still playing in the league on our Nigerians in the WNBA tracker.
Reporting by the SitesNG Sports Desk, based on reports from AP / CBS, theScore, Just Women's Sports, ESPN. Published 24 September 2026 in the African Sports News weekly edition of 30 September 2026.
