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LOS ANGELES — Nneka Ogwumike came into the WNBA as the Sparks’ heralded No. 1 selection in the 2012 draft. After 15 seasons, she has made an indelible mark and will leave on her own terms as a 2016 WNBA champion, 2016 league MVP, and the Sparks’ all-time leading scorer. Ogwumike, an 11-time All-Star, revealed this week that she’s going to retire at the end of the season. The former Stanford standout played her first 12 seasons in Los Angeles, left as a free agent in 2024 and signed with the Seattle Storm, before signing a one-year contract with the Sparks in April. The 36-year-old current president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association broke the news in an exclusive video interview with Taylor Rooks for Boardroom Talks, which was published online Thursday morning. “I’m never satisfied, but I’m proud of what I’ve done,” Ogwumike said. “I feel very fulfilled with the 15 years that I’ve been able to play and compete at such a high level, and I am proud to say that I’m retiring from the WNBA,” Ogwumike continued. Ogwumike said she came to that realization when the Sparks held their April training camp in San Diego following a shortened WNBA free agency and an acclimation period. Off the court, Ogwumike’s crowning achievement was leading the WNBPA during recent historic collective bargaining negotiations that secured the single largest salary increase in league history and ushered in million-dollar contracts for dozens of players. “I do know how I want to leave the game,” Ogwumike explained. “I do know how I want to leave my career. I do know how good I feel about what this game has poured into me and also what I’ve poured into this league.” Ogwumike, who was named an All-Star again this season, is averaging 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and three assists in Year 15, slightly above her career averages of 16.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. She’s also the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals made, steals and double-doubles. “I feel very content with where I’ve left my career with 15 years under my belt,” Ogwumike said. “I feel very content about what we were able to achieve coming into this season, where we see the league today. Even when I think about the types of players I’ve been able to play with, I can say that I’ve played against Tina Thompson, also against Angel Reese. I was in the league during the Maya Moore era. I was in the league during the A’ja Wilson era. It is quite amazing for me to say that I’ve lived these many lives and many generations across my time in the W.” Ogwumike is also an eight-time All-WNBA selection and a seven-time All-Defensive Team selection, and was recognized as one of the 25 best players in league history. “I’ve learned there’s power in knowing when to walk away,” Ogwumike said. “For so long, that strength meant finding a way to keep pushing. Now, it means recognizing when you feel complete. I find myself grateful, fulfilled, and at peace with everything this game has given me and everything I’ve poured into it.” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert released a statement following Ogwumike’s retirement announcement. “There is no telling the story of the WNBA’s recent growth and evolution without Nneka Ogwumike,” Engelbert said in a news release. “Her extraordinary career has been defined not only by excellence, but by the way she has led and lifted those around her. She is a champion and MVP, one of the most accomplished players of all time, and a fierce competitor who has represented the very best our game has to offer. For 15 seasons, Nneka has led with grace and conviction, competed with an unmistakable spark, and carried herself with a generosity and thoughtfulness that have earned the admiration of everyone across our game.” “Nneka will retire at the end of this season leaving the WNBA much better than she found it – a testament not only to the player she has been, but to the person and leader she is,” Engelbert continued. “I have been fortunate to work closely with Nneka over the years and have been inspired by her passion and unwavering commitment to the players. It has been a privilege to watch her remarkable journey, and while there is still more basketball to be played this season, we congratulate her on an extraordinary career and look forward to celebrating her in the months ahead.” Ogwumike’s WNBA retirement will include playing international basketball and she did not fully dismiss the idea of one day becoming the WNBA’s commissioner. “I don’t close doors, but I do appreciate a vacation,” Ogwumike said with a hearty laugh. “I know that’s not an easy job,” Ogwumike added. “The relationship spans not just partnerships and the board of governors but the players. I think without the players, we don’t have a league. Players are very important in that. I think that any commissioner that has a strong relationship with the players, it’s going to be difficult for them to fail.” The Sparks, who are all but eliminated from postseason contention with nine games left in the regular season, begin a four-game homestand when they host the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night. Cameron Brink, Erica Wheeler and Monique Akoa Makani all sat out Tuesday’s 85-77 road loss against the Connecticut Sun in Boston with injuries. Guard Rae Burrell scored a team-high 19 points, while Ogwumike scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Sparks, who are likely to miss the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season, are 7½ games back of eighth place – the league’s final playoff spot. The Sparks are 0-1 against Atlanta this season, suffering a 101-92 road loss on July 13. ATLANTA (22-13) AT SPARKS (12-23) When: Thursday, 7 p.m. Where: Crypto.com Arena TV: Prime Video