One of the greatest careers in WNBA history will come to an end next month, as Nneka Ogwumike announced her retirement from the league following the 2026 season.
Ogwumike is probably best known for her tenure as the president of the WNBPA, a role she has held for a decade, and for good reason. In that position, Ogwumike presided over the execution of two landmark collective bargaining agreements, the most recent of which introduced revenue sharing into the WNBA, along with massive gains in compensation and player experience.
Sometimes I wonder if we overlook the basketball component of Ogwumike’s legacy. She ranks fourth all-time in points, third in rebounds and fifth in steals. She’s a former MVP and champion who put together the most efficient season in WNBA history in 2016. She’s also second all-time in win shares; that doesn’t necessarily mean Ogwumike is the second-best player ever, but she’s a lot closer than most would think.
Ogwumike is the epitome of consistency, an All-Star every year she was eligible (it was only recently that the league started naming All-Stars in Olympic years) other than 2021, when she suffered an ill-timed injury. She received MVP votes nine times and finished sixth on the ballot as recently as last season.
The list of players with career averages surpassing Ogwumike’s 16.7 points and 7.6 rebounds includes Lisa Leslie, Chamique Holdsclaw, Lauren Jackson, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier. Ogwumike’s field-goal percentage is the highest among the group.
Perhaps the general malaise surrounding the Los Angeles Sparks, where Ogwumike spent the bulk of her career, obscured her day-to-day greatness. There won’t be many more wins on her ledger or another postseason appearance.
But Ogwumike can individually go out on a high note, and with the end date of her WNBA career fixed, fans know exactly how long they have to see her. It’s worth remembering just how much there is to celebrate.
After announcing her retirement, Nneka Ogwumike should be recognized for her contributions to the game. (Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)
Trending upDallas Wings
The rumors of Dallas’ demise (by me, I take full blame) have been greatly exaggerated. The Wings responded to the news of Azzi Fudd’s season-ending surgery with their best win in months over the Fever and another dominant performance against Seattle.
The Dallas coaching staff elected to put Awak Kuier in place of Fudd in the starting lineup, and Kuier’s athleticism on the wing has been a necessary jolt. She can guard perimeter players, something Caitlin Clark learned all too well in their matchup, and she’s a good driver, which makes her an offensive spacing threat.
The Wings don’t necessarily need Kuier to be a scoring option with Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard already in the first five, but she needs to make defenders pay for sagging off of her, which they would never do with Fudd.
The real boon of this new lineup is that Dallas has two legitimate rim protectors on the floor. After allowing an open lane to the basket for much of the season, the duo of Alanna Smith and Kuier is actually formidable defensively. Smith is a more traditional paint defender who guards her assignment while Kuier is excellent at rotating in help. She had seven blocks in the win over Indiana.
Awak Kuier’s lineup boost
Sabreena Merchant
Seeing Kuier at the three position brought to mind how New York gives opponents fits when Leonie Fiebich is available to play on the wing. That combination of length and defensive acumen on the perimeter is rare; it’s what makes the Liberty a contender, and the Wings are hoping it can do the same for them.
Atlanta Dream
It’s a long WNBA season, and Angel Reese proved to have a short memory after the Dream’s toughest loss of the year to Indiana. She registered 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 15-point win over Las Vegas, helping limit A’ja Wilson to 7-of-18 shooting and five turnovers. Reese followed that with a perfect game in a rout of the Sparks, shooting 9 of 9 from the floor (including two 3-pointers) to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Two days later, she was even more dominant with 31 points, 14 rebounds and four steals against Phoenix.
Angel Reese’s bounce-back
Reese, who was name-checked by Ogwumike in her retirement interview, said the thing she hopes to take from the veteran’s game is consistency. This season will be her first playoff appearance, and she reiterated how much she is focusing on taking no plays off and maximizing every possession, both in the postseason race and in the games themselves next month.
Reese is the Dream’s bellwether, particularly with Brionna Jones out and no update on her return. Reese sets the tone with her effort and intensity in the paint; she’s the catalyst of Atlanta’s league-leading offensive rebounding and second-best defensive rebounding. Her motor is infectious on the court, especially next to more even-keeled perimeter stars in Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray. This is the best Reese has looked in a Dream uniform, and it’s no coincidence that Atlanta is moving up in the standings as a result.
Trending downGolden State Valkyries
Golden State’s starting lineup had a bad week. It collectively shot 30.2 percent from the field and was outscored over its three games against Dallas, Minnesota and Chicago (despite one of those being a win). The ball wasn’t moving, the Valkyries weren’t putting pressure on the paint and the requisite level of force on defense was missing. Coach Natalie Nakase rode the bench for much of the second half against the Sky, which worked all the way up until Sydney Taylor made sure it didn’t.
The Valkyries have talented bench performers such as Janelle Salaün, Tiffany Hayes (who has been on an absolute heater) and Kaitlyn Chen, but they can’t afford to dig themselves holes against the best teams like Minnesota. Nakase is so quick to pull Kiah Stokes that it begs the question of whether Salaün should be starting in the first place; even if Stokes has been an elite rim protector, teams are finally targeting her on the other end, forcing Golden State to play four-on-five on offense. Gabby Williams has had some of her worst games of late — the negative assist-to-turnover ratio especially stands out — despite the pre-World Cup rest plan, and she figures to be more worn out after the tournament since France heavily relies on her.
The Valkyries have always succeeded by the whole being greater than the sum of their parts. When it works, which it did as recently as Monday against the Wings, it seems like opponents are fighting against endless waves of energy. When it doesn’t — which is rare, we’re talking about the team with the WNBA’s second-best record — the absence of a go-to scorer is felt acutely.
Rookie of the weekMai Yamamoto, Las Vegas Aces
(Reminder: This isn’t the best rookie of the week, but rather a player who caught my eye.)
The midseason addition has turned into one of Aces coach Becky Hammon’s most relied-upon players. When Yamamoto gets into the game, the Aces can be sure that she will push the tempo, move the ball, shoot without hesitation and fight on defense. Since getting her first extended run during the Liberty game when Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young all sat out, Yamamoto is averaging 16.5 minutes and making more than 40 percent of her 3s. Las Vegas has a positive net rating with her on the court (plus-1.9 entering Sunday’s game), and that’s all the Aces need from their bench players in support of their big three.
Fan favorite Mai Yamamoto does her post-game interview and her Aces teammates are all ears 😭🖤 pic.twitter.com/3Uykhcwazn
— tay 𑣲. (@zavanchy) August 21, 2026
Yamamoto’s teammates and Las Vegas fans have immediately taken to her — just look at how everyone imitates her shot release when she takes a jumper. It’s not a novelty that she has earned the love and respect of everyone around her. As the point guard, Yamamoto needs her teammates to fall in line, and this is part of the process, especially since she is only nine games into her Aces tenure.
Las Vegas has been without Dana Evans for most of the season, and NaLyssa Smith appeared to suffer a severe injury in Sunday’s win over Toronto. Hammon has never gone to her bench as much as other WNBA coaches, but the Aces will now need more from the rest of the roster. Jewell Loyd will have to slide over to the forward position more often, leaving more ballhandling and creation responsibilities for Yamamoto. She has been fearless thus far, but this is only the appetizer for Las Vegas’ postseason run.
Game to circle
Valkyries at Liberty, 8 p.m. (ET) Thursday, Prime Video
Every game between playoff teams has enormous consequences for seeding at this point of the season. Golden State has a tenuous hold on the No. 2 seed while New York has been trending up and has an opportunity to get into the top four. The matchup between these two teams — aside from being among the most aesthetically beautiful when they wear the seafoam and violet — is interesting because the Valkyries have enough wings to counter the Liberty’s size and length.
Golden State is 2-0 in the season series, and one of those wins came when Sabrina Ionescu and Fiebich were both available for New York. The Liberty looked about as good as they have all season Saturday in their win over Indiana, and they will have a significant rest advantage in this game. (New York doesn’t play until Thursday while the Valkyries have to travel across the country and face the Liberty on the second night of a back-to-back.) Still, Golden State’s previous performances against New York suggest it won’t be an easy out, rest be damned.