Key Takeaways
- Nneka Ogwumike played her final WNBA game against the Golden State Valkyries before a postgame retirement ceremony.
- The Los Angeles Sparks announced that a player sanctuary in their new practice facility will bear Nneka’s name.
- The WNBA, Sparks, and fans honored her 15-season career, including a tribute narrated by her sister Chiney Ogwumike.
Nneka Ogwumike played the final game of her WNBA career on Thursday (Sept. 24) night, and while the Los Angeles Sparks didn’t win, the team — along with the rest of the league and countless fans online — showered her with plenty of well-earned love.
During a postgame ceremony, the Sparks revealed that a player sanctuary inside the team’s new practice facility will bear the former WNBA MVP’s name, which brought her to tears. “We wanted to make sure that Nneka’s impact wasn’t simply something we remembered,” team president Stacy Johns said. “We wanted it to be part of what we’re building.
“I am incredibly proud to announce that it will forever carry the name of someone who has meant so much to this organization, and to the generations of Sparks players,” she continued. “Every player who walks through these doors will know the name, and they’ll know what it represents: excellence, leadership, strength, grace, and leaving this game and the Sparks organization better than you found it.” Watch the moment below.
Nneka Ogwumike reflects on her final WNBA game and 15-year career
At the ceremony itself, Nneka reflected on how much her time in the league has meant to her, though she had to get one thing off her chest first. “I just gotta get this out of the way: I should've made that free throw,” she said, referring to a late miss in the Sparks’ game against the Golden State Valkyries. “And I should've made the putback a couple [of] possessions before that. You guys know me. I wanted that for you guys. I wanted that for my teammates.”
“But I wouldn't go down any other way, which is competing hard here in LA against some great competition,” Nneka went on to say. "This is goodbye, not forever, but I'm always gonna be your LA Spark, so I love you guys.” All things considered, last night wasn’t a bad way to close out a legendary career spanning 15 seasons, a WNBA championship, and so many memories made along the way.
The WNBA and Sparks celebrate Nneka Ogwumike’s legendary career
Of course, the celebration didn’t stop there. In addition to the ceremony, the WNBA and Sparks took to social media to honor Nneka, including one tribute narrated by her sister, Chiney Ogwumike. “Nneka didn’t become one of one. She always was,” the ESPN analyst said. Keep scrolling for more of our favorite tributes and reactions.