Free-agent power forward Nneka Ogwumike is re-signing with the Los Angeles Sparks, ESPN reported. Sparks GM Karen Bryant said earlier Wednesday that she “will continue to be instrumental as we build for the future” but did not confirm the signing outright. Here’s what you need to know:
- The 32-year-old Ogwumike ranks No. 4 among The Athletic’s top WNBA free agents this offseason.
- Last season, Ogwumike posted averages of 18.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
- Ogwumike is a seven-time All-Star and won the WNBA championship in 2016 with Los Angeles.
- Her younger sister Cheney Ogwumike, a 30-year-old two-time All-Star, is also expected to re-sign with the Sparks, per ESPN.
Backstory
For the first time since the historic CBA that Nneka Ogwumike helped craft as WNBA Players Association president, the league entered the new era of free agency. But her free agency was not expected to be as much of a whirlwind as others’ after her exit interview last season. Ogwumike said she would “love” to be with the Sparks in 2023 and that the 2022 season — in which the Sparks went 13-21, general manager and coach Derek Fisher was removed from his positions mid-season and Liz Cambage departed the team mid-season — was like “living in a house you didn’t…
