Ogwumike's 3-pointer at the buzzer lifts Sparks past Liberty - ESPN

On a night when the WNBA was celebrating a rematch of the league's first game, Nneka Ogwumike provided a fantastic finish. The Los Angeles Sparks beat the New York Liberty 98-97 on Ogwumike's 3-pointer with less than a second left, sending the capacity crowd of 18,043 into a cheering frenzy at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Ogwumike was drafted No. 1 by the Sparks in 2012 and was the season MVP in 2016 when Los Angeles won its third WNBA title. She left Los Angeles to play the 2024 and 2025 seasons for the Seattle Storm but returned to the Sparks this year. Ogwumike also is the longtime players' association president and has been key in the negotiations for the past two WNBA collective bargaining agreements, in 2020 and earlier this year.

«It's emotional seeing all these legends in the building,» Ogwumike told ESPN after the game as she wiped away tears. «People that didn't get paid their value, and they're still coming here and supporting us. I'm so grateful.»

The Sparks and Liberty, two of the original eight WNBA teams, faced off in the inaugural game on June 21, 1997. It was 29 years ago, but this is the WNBA's 30th anniversary season, hence Sunday's celebration that included several former Sparks and Liberty players in attendance. Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, who spent her 12-season WNBA career with the Sparks, winning two league titles, thanked the fans at halftime for their support over the past three decades.

That first game was played at the Forum in Inglewood, California, and Leslie had 16 points and 14 rebounds in the Sparks' 67-57 loss to Rebecca Lobo and the Liberty. Lobo, who had 16 points and 6 rebounds in that first game, was the analyst on the ESPN broadcast Sunday night.

For much of Sunday's game, it