WNBA veteran Nneka Ogwumike announces retirement

Nneka Ogwumike announced Wednesday that she is retiring from the WNBA after 15 seasons.

The WNBA champion and league MVP released the news on “Boardroom Talks” that this season will 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 was drafted No. 1 by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2012 WNBA Draft.

She went on to be named Rookie of the Year, and proceeded to rack up 11 All-Star nods, eight All-WNBA selections and seven All-Defensive team selections in addition to her 2016 WNBA title and MVP award. In 2024, Ogwumike signed with the Seattle Storm after 12 seasons with the Sparks — during which she averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals — citing, among many things, the opportunity to play for an organization that provides its players world-class treatment. The Storm were among one of the first organizations to invest in a premier practice facility dedicated solely to the team.

In two seasons with the Storm, she averaged 17.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

“There is no telling the story of the WNBA’s recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “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.”

Arguably more impactful than what Ogwumike accomplished on the court is the work she did off of it. Ogwumike has served as the president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association for 10 years, helping lead negotiations on two (2020 and 2026) collective bargaining agreements. Before being nominated as president of the union, she served as vice president for two years under Hall of Fame Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings.

The work she did was never more significant than this past round of negotiations, when she helped secure the largest salary increase in professional sports, with the cap growing by roughly 367 percent from $1.5 million to $7 million.

“Nneka Ogwumike’s impact on this union, and on the women’s game, cannot be overstated,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said in a statement. “Her leadership has been extraordinary. She has served this union with a level of commitment, courage, integrity and purpose that is truly unparalleled.”

Ogwumike re-signed with the Sparks this offseason on a one-year deal and, as recently as last week, was discussing her approach to free agency. She is still playing at an All-Star level, averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and three assists per game this season.

Ogwumike will remain WNBPA president until the next election, which is expected to take place before the end of the calendar year.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier is the WNBPA’s first vice president and has in recent years taken a more vocal approach to her league-wide leadership style. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Dallas Wings forward Alysha Clark serve as the union’s two other vice presidents. Sky center Elizabeth Williams is the union’s secretary and Las Vegas Aces forward Brianna Turner is the treasurer. All are potential successors to Ogwumike.

Every position except Collier’s is up for election. Collier ran and was elected first VP in June.

“As president for the last decade, Nneka understood that leadership was not simply about having a seat at the table; it was about using that seat to move the game and the business of the game forward for every player — today and for generations to come,” Carmichael Jackson said. “We are profoundly grateful for the countless ways Nneka has championed her teammates, strengthened this union and helped shape its future. We celebrate her remarkable career and the next chapter ahead. Nneka’s legacy will forever be woven into the fabric of this union and women’s basketball.”