The first domino of WNBA free agency has fallen, as 2016 MVP Nneka Ogwumike has informed the Los Angeles Sparks that she will not be returning to the only franchise she has played for since being drafted No. 1 in 2012. The news was first reported by ESPN and confirmed by the Sparks organization.
Ogwumike was the last remaining member of the L.A. team that made back-to-back Finals appearances in 2016-17 and won the title in 2016. The departure of the eight-time All-Star and six-time all-WNBA selection allows the Sparks to fully commit to a rebuild as they clean up the wreckage of the Derek Fisher era.
LA, I hope it’s not goodbye, but ‘see you later’. pic.twitter.com/kalKHp4k3o
— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) January 25, 2024
Without Ogwumike (and also presumably Chiney Ogwumike, who has said she only wants to play with her sister going forward), L.A. has more roster spots and minutes to commit to young players. That could include this year’s No. 2 and No. 12 picks as well as the 2023 No. 10 pick Zia Cooke and No. 14 selection Shaneice Swain, a 20-year-old point guard from Australia. The team also still has 2022 draftee Nia Clouden on the roster on a rookie contract.
This change in direction could allow the Sparks to flip their veteran players for future assets, the…
