Erica Wheeler had just watched Nneka Ogwumike climb into the top five on the Los Angeles Sparks’ all-time assists list, and she couldn’t help but laugh. After the Sparks beat the Chicago Sky 102-87, Wheeler and Ariel Atkins got sent to the postgame podium instead of Ogwumike. And honestly? That tracks.
“She gets an award every game,” Wheeler said. “We have something to talk about every game, and she’s just like, ‘thanks!'”
That’s Ogwumike in a nutshell. The same player who tied Diana Taurasi for the second-most All-Star selections in WNBA history. The same player who sits fourth on the league’s all-time scoring list. The same player who has been the model of consistency for 15 seasons. And somehow, she still deflects the attention.
But after the Sparks won their second straight game with Ogwumike leading the way, she opened up about how she’s kept this going for a decade and a half.
“I had some amazing vets that I was able to model my preparation and recovery after,” Ogwumike said. “I’m just very grateful to have been healthy for my whole career. I want to continue to do that.”
She added that adaptability is the secret. “The only constant is change,” she said. “Understanding that as a woman, as a player, as an athlete competing at a high level, adaptability is your biggest strength.”
She Changed Her Shot
Part of that adaptability has been adding the three-point shot to her game. For most of her career, Ogwumike lived inside the arc. Through her first 13 seasons, she only averaged more than 1.7 three-point attempts per game twice — once in 2019 and again in 2024.
Last season, that number jumped to a career-high 4.1 per game. This year, she’s at 3.5. And she’s been efficient: 36.7 percent from deep in 2025 and 37.9 percent so far in 2026. Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts’ system emphasizes shots at the rim and threes, and Ogwumike has embraced it.
But it’s also about knowing your body. “Sometimes you don’t feel like you can move the way you want to, do the things that you’re used to,” Ogwumike said. “But you also develop skill that you didn’t have before. And I try to just tap into what’s working for me in the moment.”
The Numbers Keep Piling Up
Against Chicago, Ogwumike put up 25 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. She shot 9-of-16 from the field and 3-of-7 from three. That came right after a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double against the Seattle Storm, where she also added three assists and two steals.
Roberts kept it simple after the game. “She’s just unbelievable. There’s not enough words to describe her,” the Sparks coach said. “She kind of willed us there, especially in that fourth quarter. There’s nothing I can say to describe her. Nneka’s Nneka. We’re happy that she’s a Spark.”
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