The Los Angeles Sparks made a significant move on Friday, bringing back Nneka Ogwumike. The ten-time WNBA All-Star agreed to return to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, rejoining the franchise where she spent the first 12 seasons of her career after two years with the Seattle Storm.
(Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Her sister, Chiney Ogwumike, posted the news on X (formerly Twitter), announcing that the 2016 MVP “is looking forward to returning home.” Ogwumike fielded interest from multiple teams before deciding on Los Angeles early in the free agency period.
Ogwumike previously played 12 seasons with the Sparks, winning the 2016 WNBA championship and MVP award, and her return gives Los Angeles a veteran star as the team looks to end a five-year postseason absence. The Sparks have not reached the playoffs since 2021.
BREAKING: 10x WNBA All-Star and 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike intends to re-sign with the Los Angeles Sparks.
She previously played 12 seasons in LA and “is looking forward to returning home.”
— Chiney Ogwumike (@chiney) April 10, 2026
Ogwumike, who will turn 36 during the 2026 season, showed no signs of decline during her final campaign in Seattle. She averaged 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from 3-point range — numbers that would rank among the best of any forward in the league. At 35, she is still producing at an All-Star level, and the Sparks are betting that carries into next season.
— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) April 10, 2026
Ogwumike Chooses Sparks Over Storm, Lynx
Seattle exited the first round of the playoffs in both seasons Ogwumike was on the roster, a pattern that appeared to push her toward finding a new situation heading into 2026. Ogwumike won the 2016 WNBA championship and was named league MVP that same season in Los Angeles. She picked the city she knows best.
The Minnesota Lynx had also expressed a strong interest in Ogwumike entering free agency. Her visit to Minnesota drew significant attention — including widely circulated images of a balloon-filled welcome — and many observers believed she was bound for the Twin Cities. In the end, Ogwumike chose the familiarity and history of Los Angeles over the allure of joining a Lynx team that has been among the league’s elite in recent seasons.
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Sparks to Build Around Ogwumike, Plum, Brink
Ogwumike now joins a Sparks core that includes Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby, and Cameron Brink. The combination of Plum’s scoring and playmaking with Ogwumike’s veteran presence and interior production gives Los Angeles a potentially formidable starting nucleus heading into 2026. How the Sparks build out the rest of the roster around those pieces will go a long way toward determining whether they can return to the postseason for the first time in five years.
It was always see you later, now I’ll see you soon… pic.twitter.com/Da2xCDv4ux
— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) April 10, 2026
The path to doing so will require some work. Going into the 2026 WNBA Expansion Draft, Los Angeles could protect only five players — and it cost them, with Julie Allemand selected by the Toronto Tempo and Sarah Ashlee Barker taken by the Portland Fire. Azurá Stevens is not expected back either, leaving multiple roster spots to address before opening night. The Sparks hold the No. 24 and No. 35 picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft, leaving them limited draft capital to work with as they look to fill out the roster.
The front office could also be active on the trade front. League sources have indicated the Sparks are in discussions to move Rickea Jackson to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Ariel Atkins, a deal that would reshape Los Angeles’s backcourt picture while potentially adding a two-way presence alongside Plum.
Ogwumike’s return to the franchise that drafted her is the latest flashpoint in a WNBA offseason that has wasted no time generating headlines — Angel Reese was traded to the Atlanta Dream, and Jackie Young became the first player in league history to receive the new designated veteran max extension.
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