Nneka Ogwumike has been a vital part of the WNBA’s growth on and off the court the past 15 seasons, from her decorated playing career to her tenure as president of the players’ union.The 36-year-old eight-time All-WNBA forward announced Wednesday in an interview with Boardroom Talks that she’ll retire at the end of the season.“I feel very fulfilled with the 15 years that I’ve been able to play and compete at such a high level,” the Los Angeles Sparks star said. “Even though I didn’t know what kind of player that I could be in this league, I never thought that I would play this long. Never thought that would be the type of player that I’d play this long.”The No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft out of Stanford, Ogwumike earned Rookie of the Year honors that season with Los Angeles. She was voted league MVP in 2016 when she helped lead the Sparks to the WNBA championship, hitting the title-winning shot in Game 5 with 3.1 seconds left.
“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,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “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.”
