“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.”
That was what Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike told Taylor Rooks on the Boardroom podcast.
You might know her better as Madame President. She served as president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association for 10 years.
Standing on the front lines to negotiate new CBA deals for the league’s players, however, wasn’t all Ogwumike was known for.
Nneka The Leader
Ogwumike is looked up to by the new generation of players. Almost everyone who played against or alongside her reposted her retirement message with a message of gratitude on their personal social media pages.
The 11-time All-Star even gave the new generation of players their flowers during the podcast interview, saying she felt honored to have played alongside some of her G.O.A.T.s when she first started her career while also transitioning alongside the new wave of women changing the game.
“Even when I think of the types of players I’ve been able to play with, against Tina Thompson and also against Angel Reese,” Ogwumike said. “I was in the league during the Maya Moore era; I’m in the league during the A’ja Wilson era.
“Seeing the legends come back, integrated into the life that is women’s basketball today…I kind of feel good about being closer to following their transitions out of the game and into this world.”
18 months of settling deals for her fellow league-mates to play comfortably and receive what they were owed was no easy task. Adding that to playing on a high-level on the court was not only a lot to juggle, but could also feel like she was carrying the weight of the world—or the league— on her back in hopes of finding success.
She did.
Not only did Ogwumike make a change she saw was needed, but she helped create a league with more comfortable and desirable conditions for players. Alongside the team of representatives and support she received from the league, she was also able to settle reparations to former players who weren’t given these new opportunities.
On the court, Ogwumike showed what a consistent high-level player looked like.
From being drafted No. 1 overall out of Stanford University to negotiating two CBA agreements while setting a career average of 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists, Ogwumike’s path has consistently put her in position to pave the way.
This includes the birth order in which she has the honor of calling herself an older sister to another WNBA great who never skips an opportunity to give Nneka her flowers.
Nneka The Sister
Ogwumike’s younger sister Chiney can be seen on NBA Today on a consistent basis. She’s also a host of her own show: Chiney Today, which airs across streaming platforms digitally and via podcast outlets.
The two not only have a last name in common, but a similar path in a women’s basketball career on elite levels. Both Chiney and Nneka played at Stanford University, and shared the floor for two seasons in 2010 and 2012.
In an interview with MTMV Sports, Nneka pointed out a moment with her younger sister that she’ll cherish for years to come. A moment that also would go down in history.
“Probably both sharing being number one draft picks in our respective classes,” Ogwumike said. “It’s not often that you can say that you’re related to another number one draft pick. So, being able to share that accomplishment and using that as our springboard for the careers that we both built for ourselves.”
With both sisters going No. 1 in their classes — Nneka to the Sparks and Chiney to the Connecticut Sun — they became the only siblings to be selected first overall in the WNBA and the second sibling duo behind Peyton and Eli Manning to go No. 1 in the history of the four major American professional sports.
The two also received Rookie of the Year honors during their first seasons.
They would later play alongside each other once more as teammates on the Sparks from 2019-23, when Chiney was traded to the team from the Sun. They used their sibling connection to help Los Angeles reach the WNBA semifinals during the WNBA bubble season in 2020.
Nneka says that her sister was one of her top influences on and off the court, and she was always someone who inspired her to own every space she owned.
Whenever Nneka reached a new accomplishment or milestone, Chiney would be one of the first to highlight her on every platform, continuously expressing how proud she was of her.
The retirement announcement was no different.
After the Boardroom podcast wrapped, Chiney ran into the frame for a group picture, standing by her sister’s side with smiles and admiration shining in her eyes at her older sister’s journey.
Chiney took to X/Twitter and remarked: “15 seasons! With you every step of the way… and it still feels like we’re just getting started! Congrats to the best big sister in the world, @nnekaogwumike!
Nneka The Achiever
Personal connections are a big part of the legacy you’re leaving behind. And, as mentioned, Ogwumike has made many of them.
The impact she left behind is almost just as great as the accomplishments she’s reached to build her resume. But those achievements should not be overlooked.
In Ogwumike’s MVP season in 2016 (averaging 19.7 points per game, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists), the Sparks went on to win their first championship since 2002 after a clutch layup from Ogwumike with 3.1 seconds left in the game.
Fast-forward to 2026, the Sparks took on the New York Liberty to relive the first-ever WNBA matchup on June 21st, 1997. Ogwumike became the player of the game after shooting the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to rewrite history for her team and secure the win.
“I’ve been with the Sparks for so long,” Ogwumike said in an emotional state after the win. She wiped her eyes and apologized. “It’s emotional seeing all of these legends in the building. People who didn’t get paid their value and they’re still coming here and supporting us. I’m so grateful.”
A word that gets tossed around when describing Ogwumike is “unselfish.” Even in her style of play, she looks out for her teammates, while also racking up achievements of her own.
Sparks’ head coach Lynn Roberts says that she is one of one and that her presence holds weight on and off the court, bringing value to her veteran status.
“She just has a way about her that brings calm to everybody, but is a fierce competitor. I’ve never been around a player like her ever,” Roberts told ClutchPoints. “We lean on her and rely on her, and there’s a lot of motivation for the rest of us to come through for her as well. She’s a huge part of what we’re doing, and I’m seeing just a really motivated, driven, but under control, peaceful vet in Nneka.”
Nneka the Finisher
Although Ogwumike’s time in the WNBA is coming to a close, her impact continues to live on. And it’s not the end of her basketball career.
She was the first player to sign to the startup global basketball league Project B, and still intends to play during their inaugural season in January 2027.
She said that she realized during training camp of 2026 that she might want to start slowing down. This wasn’t just because of slight wear and tear of her body at age 36, but also because she felt content with what she’s accomplished and where she would leave her career.
Spending her first 12 years with the Sparks, two with the Seattle Storm and returning for her final year with the team that drafted her is a fitting end for a player that’s accomplished so much for the franchise.
And still at the top of her game, averaging 17 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists, Ogwumike is leaving with more in the tank, but with peace in her heart as she completes this chapter.
Now, gearing to hand her baton off to the next group of leaders, she has a piece of advice for up-and-coming players who are still learning to find and develop their voices in the league.
“Everybody has their own style of leadership. I don’t think leadership is a singular act,” Ogwumike told MTMV Sports. “I think everyone has leadership in them and does it in their own way, so just owning that. And also, ensuring that, being in this league, you do what got you here. And then over time, you’ll be able to evolve.”
