Sparks Legend Announces WNBA Retirement After 18 Seasons

After 18 seasons playing in the WNBA and plenty of achievements, Los Angeles Sparks legend Nneka Ogwumike unveiled she is officially ending her career after this season.

Key points

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• After winning Rookie of the Year, eventually became an all-time great, ogwumike began her career with the Sparks in 2012 and.
• As of this writing, she was a four-time WNBA All-Defensive First Team member and ranks in the top five all-time for points scored with 7, 484.
• She will retire third all-time in career rebounds, having grabbed 3, 565 boards during her impressive time playing for the Sparks, and, briefly, for the Seattle Storm.

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Ogwumike, 36, confirmed the news on Wednesday during a conversation with Taylor Rooks on "Boardroom Talks." Ogwumike, additionally the President of the Women's National Basketball Association, informed Rooks she felt "very fulfilled" with her career and was "proud" to announce her retirement.

"I've learned there's power in knowing when to walk away. 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, " she remarked of her retirement.

After winning Rookie of the Year, eventually became an all-time great, ogwumike began her career with the Sparks in 2012 and. She won a championship with the team in 2016 and was named WNBA MVP in the same year.

Along with that, her accolades and achievements are quite impressive. She was named to the WNBA All-Star team 11 times during her career, including this recent Sparks season.

As of this writing, she was a four-time WNBA All-Defensive First Team member and ranks in the top five all-time for points scored with 7, 484. As another retired legend, Tina Thompson, is just four points above her, by the time the season ends, she may have taken over fourth place.

She exits as the Sparks' all-time leader in scoring, field goals created, steals, and double-double performances.

This is definitely a massive moment within WNBA history due to how notable Ogwumike has been to the league and its expansion. She announces her retirement at a time when her team, the Sparks, are in a losing season, at present at 12-23. After trading Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles is still struggling to remain competitive and probable won't reach the postseason.

Still, Ogwumike has supported the league tremendously since her debut and inspired others to continue making significant strides to impact the WNBA as it grows further. Most probable, she'll continue to have some part going forward of the league as she watches it develop.

For context, the Sparks and other WNBA teams have at least nine games remaining on their schedule to celebrate Ogwumike, with Los Angeles next hosting Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night.

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