Nneka Ogwumike is coming home in a strong endorsement of the Sparks’ vow to succeed during the upcoming season.
Ogwumike, a 10-time WNBA All-Star, spent the first 12 seasons of her career with the Sparks after she was drafted No. 1 overall by the franchise in 2012.
But Ogwumike left two seasons ago as the Sparks were struggling to win and signed with a Seattle Storm team with talent capable of pushing for a championship, a female coach and state-of-the-art facilities.
While she was gone, the Sparks replaced coach Curt Miller with Lynne Roberts, traded for WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum and broke ground on a new practice facility in El Segundo.
Ogwumike posted a 45-second video on social media on Friday morning that showed her intentions to return to the Sparks. Free agents are free to sign with new teams on Saturday, when the Sparks are expected to officially announce her return.
“It was always see you later, now I’ll see you soon,” Ogwumike wrote in the post.
She did not post the terms of the deal, and they have yet to be reported publicly.
The Sparks have missed the postseason for the past five seasons, and while they showed some potential last season going 21-23 before fizzling out in the second half of the season, adding the 36-year-old veteran bolsters their push to take a big step forward into the playoff mix.
With the appeal of some of the talent already on their roster and a new $150 million practice facility scheduled to open in 2027, the Sparks are positioning themselves for their best season in a while.
The Sparks are likely about to trade 2024 first-round pick Rickea Jackson to Chicago this weekend for cored guard Ariel Atkins, according to reports. Atkins is a two-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive honoree who played an important role in the Washington Mystics’ 2019 championship.
That leaves them with just three other players — Plum, who signed a core contract; Cameron Brink; and Sania Feagin — under contract. They did extend qualifying offers to Rae Burrell, Julie Vanloo and Alissa Pili this week as well, essentially retaining their rights.
But Ogwumike is the kind of player that the Sparks could build a competitive campaign around, especially with a front court in which she plays alongside Brink. With Plum and likely Atkins in the fold, the Sparks could now use an upgraded ball-handler, unless they go with Plum at the point guard spot and focus on bringing in another forward.
Forward Azura Stevens announced on social media she is not returning to the team. The Sparks also lost starting point guard Julie Allemand to Toronto in the expansion draft last week.
Forward Dearica Hamby remains unsigned. She started 84 games during the past two seasons, but is likely behind Ogwumike and Brink on the Sparks’ depth chart and may push for a bigger role with another team.
The Sparks don’t have a first-round draft pick, so they will need to pursue talent on the robust free agent market or make another trade to bolster their backcourt. If they elect to go with Plum at the point guard spot, they could start Burrell as a small forward after her strong offseason with Unrivaled, but they still need more depth.
During the next seven days, the Sparks will have a chance to make some moves to support a veteran core of Ogwumike and Plum alongside a rising star in Brink as they push to make the playoffs.
Ogwumike spent the past two seasons in Seattle, where she averaged 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 2025. Ogwumike’s departure was somewhat expected after Noelle Quinn was fired as Seattle’s head coach following the team’s first-round playoff exit.
The president of the WNBPA, Ogwumike played an essential role in the historic collective bargaining agreement the league and players agreed to in March, which led to the salary cap being raised to $7 million per game.
On Wednesday, speculation was rampant that Ogwumike might end up in Minnesota after a balloon company shared a video of a balloon sign that read: “Welcome Nneka,” but the forward clarified on Instagram that it was just a greeting welcoming her to a meeting with the Lynx, not an indication she was signing there.
In a WNBA where the majority of the league’s players are free agents, teams have an opportunity to reinvent themselves this offseason. It seems likely that Seattle, with Skylar Diggins-Smith and Gabby Williams as free agents as well, could take a step back. The forecast for expansion clubs Portland and Toronto won’t take shape until they finish building their rosters.
The Sparks allowed the most points against in the league in 88.2 in 2025, a flaw Ogwumike and Atkinsp along with a full season of Brink will help address.
The Sparks have promised fans they would complete their rebuild and become title contenders again. Ogwumike’s announcement suggests she believes in the transformation plan.
The post Nneka Ogwumike is returning to the Sparks, bolstering the team’s push to win now appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
