WNBA veteran Nneka Ogwumike is leaving the Seattle Storm in free agency and will rejoin the Los Angeles Sparks, a move confirmed by her sister, ESPN's Chiney Ogwumike, and by Nneka herself on social media.
Ogwumike returns to the franchise where she played the first 12 years of her career, winning a championship in 2016 and earning eight All-Star selections. She expressed gratitude to Seattle in a social media post before hinting at her return to Los Angeles.
Her departure from the Storm follows the team's first-round playoff exit and the subsequent firing of head coach Noelle Quinn. Ogwumike, 35, averaged 18.3 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game last season as a starting forward while also serving as WNBPA president.
The Storm now face other key free-agent decisions involving players like Skylar Diggins-Smith, Gabby Williams, Ezi Magbegor, and Brittney Sykes, with Diggins-Smith also expected to depart.