All-Star Nneka Ogwumike leaving Seattle Storm to return to LA

Nneka Ogwumike is leaving the Seattle Storm and heading back to the Los Angeles Sparks, where she spent the first 12 seasons of her career after she was drafted No. 1 in 2012.

BY DOUG FEINBERG

Apr 10, 2026, 9:10 AM

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Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm celebrates with Erica Wheeler during a 2025 game. (Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)

(Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)

Nneka Ogwumike is leaving the Seattle Storm and heading back to the Los Angeles Sparks.

Ogwumike spent the first 12 seasons of her career in Los Angeles after she was drafted No. 1 by the team in 2012. She won the MVP in 2016 and helped the franchise win the WNBA championship that season.

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The veteran forward posted on social media a 45-second video that showed her intentions to return to the Sparks, which her agent confirmed was accurate. Free agents can’t sign until Saturday.

“It was always see you later, now I’ll see you soon…” Ogwumike wrote in the post. The video showed highlights of her time in Los Angeles.

It was always see you later, now I’ll see you soon… pic.twitter.com/Da2xCDv4ux

— Nneka Ogwumike (@nnekaogwumike) April 10, 2026

The 35-year-old Ogwumike averaged 18.3 points and 7.0 rebounds last season, her second with the Seattle Storm.

It’s been a busy offseason for Ogwumike. She presided over collective bargaining negotiations as president of the union and helped get a transformational new deal that saw average salaries rise nearly four times what they were in the previous CBA.

The Sparks have a talented group to go with Ogwumike as the team gave the franchise tag to guard Kelsey Plum, the former UW Huskies star who is also on the union’s executive committee, as well as young star Cameron Brink.

This is the busiest offseason in WNBA history with 80% of the players in the league being free agents.

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