At 5:00 p.m. PDT on Jan. 24, Nneka Ogwumike made it official: she would not be returning to Los Angeles. It’s the first time in her WNBA career she will not be a Spark.
Ogwumike is a Sparks legend. She averaged 19.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in her 12-year tenure for the Sparks. She made eight All-Star appearances, won the 2016 WNBA title and was the 2016 WNBA MVP. She will undoubtedly have her jersey hanging in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena when her career is over.
So, what’s next for the Sparks?
When previewing the L.A. Sparks free agency, the first priority mentioned was to keep Ogwumike. Well, that didn’t happen. We’ll hear more later, but it begs the question: why? She’s the face of the franchise, and the Los Angeles legend is still at the top of her game. She has the right to make the move, but the fact that she picked elsewhere is concerning.
Is it because the Sparks are that far away from a title? Was there an issue with the team’s direction that made her not want to be a part of it? It’ll become clearer once Ogwumike speaks and chooses the next team she will play for.
Since the league’s free agent negotiating window opened on Sunday, Ogwumike has taken meetings with the Sparks, Atlanta Dream, Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky, sources said. She…
