Nneka Ogwumike Headed Back to LA Sparks After Seattle Storm Run

Q: Why did Nneka Ogwumike leave the Seattle Storm?

Nneka Ogwumike is leaving the Seattle Storm to return to the LA Sparks, where she spent the first 12 seasons of her career.

Q: How many seasons did Nneka Ogwumike play with the Seattle Storm?

Nneka Ogwumike played two seasons with the Seattle Storm before returning to the LA Sparks.

Q: What was Nneka Ogwumike's draft position in the 2012 WNBA Draft?

Nneka Ogwumike was selected as the No. 1 pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft by the LA Sparks.

WNBA Star Nneka Ogwumike Departs Seattle Storm to Return to the LA Sparks

Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for The Ancestors' Wildest Dreams

Nneka Ogwumike is headed back to familiar territory. The 10-time All-Star and former league WNBA MVP is returning to the Los Angeles Sparks after spending the past two seasons with the Seattle Storm.

According to ESPN, the news was first shared by her sister, Chiney Ogwumike, who wrote on social media that Nneka is “looking forward to returning home.” Ogwumike spent the first 12 seasons of her career in Los Angeles after the Sparks selected her with the No. 1 pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft.

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Ogwumike leaves Seattle after two productive seasons in which she remained one of the league’s most consistent frontcourt players. In 2025, the 6-foot-2 forward averaged 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while helping the Storm reach the playoffs. Seattle finished seventh in the standings before being eliminated in the opening round by the Las Vegas Aces.

During her first run in Los Angeles, Ogwumike earned 10 All-Star selections, eight All-WNBA nods, and seven All-Defensive Team honors. She was named WNBA MVP in 2016 and led the Sparks to the franchise’s third championship that same season.

She also hit the game-winning basket in Game 5 of the Finals against the Minnesota Lynx, one of the most memorable moments in franchise history.

Before becoming a WNBA star, Ogwumike dominated at Stanford University, where she helped the Cardinal reach four consecutive Final Fours. She left Stanford as the program’s second-leading scorer and was drafted first overall in 2012. Her name, “Nneka,” means “Mother is Supreme” in Igbo.

Ogwumike’s impact has extended well beyond the court. Since 2016, she has served as president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association and recently helped negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with the league.

After two years away, she is returning to the team where it all started — and to the city where she made WNBA history.