Nneka Ogwumike ends 15-year WNBA career as Valkyries edge Sparks 76-75

The Golden State Valkyries beat the Los Angeles Sparks 76-75 on Thursday night, spoiling the final game of former WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike's 15-year career, ESPN and The Associated Press reported. [5][6]

Ogwumike finished with 17 points, 15 rebounds and five assists for the Sparks (16-27). It was her 19th double-double of the season and the 134th of her career, which ranks sixth in league history, according to the reports. The NBA said in a post on X that the 19th double-double set a new Sparks record for a single season. [4][5][6]

Los Angeles led 69-57 with 4:42 left but did not make another field goal until the final second. Kaitlyn Chen scored 14 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter for Golden State, and Gabby Williams scored eight points in the last 90 seconds, including a 3-pointer with 20.4 seconds left that put the Valkyries ahead 73-72. [5][6]

Sparks coach Lynne Roberts was called for a technical foul with 10.8 seconds left. Kayla Thornton made the free throw and then two more with 8.5 seconds left to make it 76-72. Golden State (32-11) secured the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and will face seventh-seeded Dallas in a first-round series beginning Sunday. [5][6]

The Sparks held a retirement ceremony for Ogwumike after the game. ESPN reported that the team announced a player sanctuary in its new practice facility will be named after her. Ogwumike began her remarks by addressing a late missed free throw. "I just gotta get this out of the way: I should've made that free throw," she said. [5]

Also during the ceremony, Ogwumike said: "This is goodbye, not forever, but I'm always gonna be your L.A. Spark, so I love you guys." In a post on X, the NBA also quoted Ogwumike telling Sparks fans: "You guys have really changed my life." [2][3][5]

Ogwumike, who announced Aug. 19 that she would retire after this season, was the No. 1 overall pick in 2012. According to ESPN, she was an eight-time All-WNBA selection and won league MVP honors and a championship in 2016. The WNBA said in a post on X that Ogwumike "helped shape the WNBA as a star, a champion and a leader." [1][5]