Nneka Ogwumike always looked out for the WNBA like family, and now it is growing thanks to her care

If there’s one thing to know about Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, it’s that she doesn’t play about her family.

Owgumike is the oldest of four sisters, all of whom played competitive basketball while growing up in a Nigerian household in Tomball, Texas.

Ogwumike was the embodiment of big-sister energy. She looked out for her younger sisters, inspired and showed them what was possible, and supported their personal ventures.

She vigorously encouraged her sister Erica as she pursued a medical degree in dermatology. She celebrated her sister Chiney as she rose through the ranks of the broadcast industry and broke every major development in her big sister’s career. Nneka Ogwumike was her family’s pillar – through and through.

“For the women who paint my world in hues of strength and grace, your light is the masterpiece that guides my journey,” Ogwumike wrote in a 2025 Instagram post featuring her sisters.

In many ways, the WNBA became Ogwumike’s second family, and Ogwumike – through her contributions on and off the court – personified the league’s “big sister.” She invested in and watched over its development, sacrificed parts of herself for its betterment and – after announcing her retirement Wednesday following the conclusion of this season – is set to watch it grow into its next era.

While Ogwumike was always quick to give flowers to those who preceded her or even those coming up, she has never asked for her own. Despite being one of the best players to ever grace a WNBA court, she never lobbied for the attention that she sorely deserved but never properly received in full over her 15 seasons.

“There were times when I would perform better than other players that were playing college basketball, and nothing would be said,” she recalled in a 2019 interview with Andscape. “It didn’t matter to me, but I heard it enough to realize I’m just one of those players where I just have to work hard no matter what.”

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Ogwumike will end her career ranking in the top five all time in points (fourth), rebounds (third), steals (fifth), field goal percentage (fifth) and made field goals (third). She is one of five players with 7,000 career points and 3,000 career rebounds.

Ogwumike’s presence on teams provided players a sense of comfort and stability. To have Nneka Ogwumike on your team was to have a consummate vet who not only had your back but also kept you accountable. Young players lauded what it meant to learn pro habits from Ogwumike, and in return she looked out for and mentored the next generation.

“Since I came into the league, you’ve shown me nothing but love and treated me like I was one of your own. … Thank you for always pouring into me, believing in me and having my back,” Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese said Wednesday in a post on Instagram. “Like I already told you, your 15 years in this league were FLAWLESS, but somehow the person you are off the court speaks even louder than everything you accomplished on. … LOVE YOU SIS.”

Ogwumike has been the president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) since 2016, earning re-election by her peers three times over the past decade. She has strategically led players through two historic and transformational collective bargaining agreements with grace and strength.

She looked out for her “little sisters” — today’s WNBA stars and the next wave to come — by shepherding a salary increase that created the league’s first million-dollar contracts. According to ESPN Stats and Information, the deal marks the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sports.

She also looked out for past players, her elders, to make sure they were taken care of through the CBA’s veteran recognition payment, compensating them for paving the way.

Sometimes helping her family meant sacrificing a part of herself. While navigating the demands that came with being union president during the league’s unprecedented bubble season in 2020, Ogwumike told Andscape that her on-court performance suffered greatly that season. However, she knew that was the cost of being president even before she took on the role – and she did so anyway.

“As President for the last decade, Nneka understood that leadership was not simply about having a seat at the table; it was about using that seat to move the game and the business of the game forward for every player — today and for generations to come,” WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson said in a statement posted to Instagram. “We are profoundly grateful for the countless ways Nneka has championed her teammates, strengthened this union, and helped shape its future.”

It certainly feels as though Ogwumike wouldn’t leave the WNBA unless she knew the league was set up for future success. Like a big sister, she ensured it was stable before walking away.

And much like the reflections of younger siblings later in life, the WNBA likely won’t grasp the full weight of Ogwumike’s contributions to its growth for years to come.

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