Nneka Ogwumike tells Sparks she is leaving. What’s left for the team?
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Nneka Ogwumike was the cornerstone of Curt Miller‘s rebuild of the Sparks, but the former most valuable player is planning her exit after one year under the new coach.
Ogwumike, an unrestricted free agent, told the Sparks she intends to leave after 12 seasons with the franchise that drafted her first overall in 2012, a person not authorized to speak publicly confirmed Wednesday. Teams could begin negotiating with free agents last Sunday.
ESPN reported Ogwumike’s decision with a statement from Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman.
The Sparks’ new general manager says the organization has “some work to do” after missing the playoffs the last three seasons.
“I want to thank Nneka Ogwumike for 12 incredible seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks,” the statement read. “Nneka has been a leader and changemaker for the Sparks, the city of Los Angeles, the WNBA, and women’s sports. From drafting her No. 1 in 2012, to her game-winning shot in the 2016 WNBA Finals, her 2016 MVP trophy, and so many special memories, her legacy is cemented as one of the greatest to ever wear Purple & Gold.”
Ogwumike, 33, was selected WNBA MVP in 2016 when the Sparks won their last title. Off the court, the former Stanford star has shepherded the league through major growth in viewership and popularity as the president of the players association. She led negotiations for the 2020 collective bargaining agreement that included increased salaries and travel benefits.
Her steady presence held the franchise together after longtime star Candace Parker left in 2021 and former coach and general manager Derek Fisher was fired in 2022. When Miller took over last season with hopes to rebuild the once-proud organization, the coach put Ogwumike at the center of his vision. The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 19.1 points — her most for a season since her MVP campaign — and 8.8 rebounds, earning her seventh All-Star appearance.
But the Sparks missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year. It’s the franchise’s longest postseason drought.
With first-year general manager Raegan Pebley in place and Ogwumike departing, the Sparks are fully in a new era. The team could get its next franchise-defining player with the No. 2 pick in April’s WNBA draft. The highly anticipated class is expected to be among the deepest in recent history as stars Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are among those who could forgo their final years of college eligibility.
Before free agency began this month, the Sparks designated guard Jordin Canada as a core player, meaning that the point guard cannot negotiate with other teams. Canada, a former star at UCLA, averaged 13.3 points and six assists, both career highs, in her first year under Miller.
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In building his first Sparks roster, Miller teamed with former general manager Karen Bryant to collect veteran point guards like Canada. The position looks precarious this year. Jasmine Thomas, Miller’s longtime floor general in Connecticut who joined the Sparks last year, announced her retirement last month. Layshia Clarendon, a 10-year veteran who averaged 11.1 points and 3.4 assists last year, is an unrestricted free agent.
Forward Chiney Ogwumike, who stated repeatedly that her goal with the Sparks was to win a championship with her sister, also is an unrestricted free agent, along with sisters Karlie and Katie Lou Samuelson. Katie Lou Samuelson missed all of last season as she gave birth to her first child in August.
