On Wednesday morning, eleven-time WNBA All-Star and current president of the WNBA Players Association, Nneka Ogwumike, announced in a statement, according to Nick Hamilton of Nitecast Media, that the 2026 season would be her last.
"I've learned there's power in knowing when to walk away," Ogwumike said in a statement. "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."
Ogwumike officially voiced that she is retiring in an interview with Boardroom TV’s Taylor Rooks, stating that she knew this would be the final season shortly after signing a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Sparks and heading into training camp.
"It's a little bit my body," Ogwumike said. "I still feel very good, but I also feel the comfort of slowing down a little bit. I also feel mentally that I just feel content. I feel very content with where I've left my career with 15 years under my belt. I feel very content about what we were able to achieve coming into this season, where we see the league today."
Before returning to the Sparks in 2026, Ogwumike played the last two seasons with the Seattle Storm, and elected to finish her career with the franchise that drafted her in 2012 with the number one pick out of Stanford University. She is also the franchise All-Time leader in scoring, field goals made, steals, double-doubles, and won the 2016 WNBA MVP award and a championship that same year.
When news broke that Ogwumike would be retiring after 15 years, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert released a statement congratulating her and leaving the league in a better place than she found it.
"There is no telling the story of the WNBA's recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike," WNBA commissioner Engelbert said. "Her extraordinary career has been defined not only by excellence, but by the way she has led and lifted those around her. She is a champion and MVP, one of the most accomplished players of all time, and a fierce competitor who has represented the very best our game has to offer. For 15 seasons, Nneka has led with grace and conviction, competed with an unmistakable spark, and carried herself with a generosity and thoughtfulness that have earned the admiration of everyone across our game.
"Nneka will retire at the end of this season leaving the WNBA much better than she found it - a testament not only to the player she has been, but to the person and leader she is. I have been fortunate to work closely with Nneka over the years and have been inspired by her passion and unwavering commitment to the players. It has been a privilege to watch her remarkable journey, and while there is still more basketball to be played this season, we congratulate her on an extraordinary career and look forward to celebrating her in the months ahead."
Ogwumike's final game of her Hall of Fame career will take place on September 24, 2026, against the Golden State Valkyries at Crypto.com Arena.
