Nneka Ogwumike, 11-time WNBA All-Star, to retire at end of season - ESPN

Eleven-time All-Star and players' union president Nneka Ogwumike will retire from the WNBA following the conclusion of the 2026 season, she announced Wednesday.

«I've learned there's power in knowing when to walk away,» Ogwumike said in a statement. «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.»

Ogwumike was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 by the Los Angeles Sparks. Fifteen seasons later, she'll end her professional career as an MVP winner in 2016, an eight-time All-WNBA selection, 11-time All-Star (tied for the second most in league history) and a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.

She boasts career averages of 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, including 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game this season.

Ogwumike, who initially announced her retirement decision in an interview with Taylor Rooks for Boardroom Talks, said she realized during training camp this spring shortly after signing a one-year deal to return to the Sparks that she felt ready to retire.

«It's a little bit my body,» Ogwumike said. «I still feel very good, but I also feel the comfort of slowing down a little bit. I also feel mentally that I just feel content. I feel very content with where I've left my career with 15 years under my belt. I feel very content about what we were able to achieve coming into this season, where we see the league today.»

The 35-year-old spent the first 12 years of her career with the Sparks, before a two-year stint with the Seattle Storm. She returned to the Sparks this year to finish her