Nneka Ogwumike needed exactly one shot to make history. The pull-up jumper from Rae Burrell’s pass, 6:54 into the first quarter against Chicago on Friday, pushed her past Lisa Leslie for the most points in Los Angeles Sparks history. It was the kind of moment that usually stops a game for a celebration. But the circumstances were complicated. The Sparks lost 92-81, their third straight defeat, and Ogwumike couldn’t fully enjoy the milestone.
She had tied Leslie’s record a few days earlier in a loss to Minnesota. So when the ball went through the net against the Sky, the 15-year veteran let herself feel it for a second. Then she got back to work.
“Being able to grow up watching someone that really pioneers not just women’s sports but the WNBA and also the Sparks, she is just synonymous with the LA Sparks in the same way that Candace is. To be mentioned in her company is kind of surreal,” Ogwumike said after the game. “It hasn’t quite hit, maybe it’ll hit after a win. But I’m very grateful to be in a position to be doing this in a Sparks jersey.”
That sums up Ogwumike pretty well. She’s never been the type to chase numbers. She’s a forward who can score from anywhere, defend multiple positions, and somehow make everyone around her better. But she’s also competitive as hell, and losing bothers her more than records matter.
From No. 1 Pick to Franchise Cornerstone
The Sparks took Ogwumike first overall in the 2012 draft after a 15-19 season that won them the lottery. She won Rookie of the Year that summer. Four years later she was league MVP and helped snap a 14-year championship drought for the franchise. Eight All-Star appearances. Twelve straight seasons in Los Angeles.
Then she left. Signed with Seattle in free agency after the 2023 season, spent two years there, and came back this year to the only other team she’s ever played for. It wasn’t a retirement tour kind of return. The Sparks needed her.
This season has been rough. Key injuries, including to guard Kelsey Plum, have left the roster scrambling. The Sparks are searching for consistency, and the losses are piling up. But Ogwumike hasn’t checked out.
“I’ve been on a lot of teams and there’s been teams where you couldn’t even welcome the conversation around accountability. We have a group of people that speak on it, and we want to be a group of people that act on it,” she said. “We have to fix it. Fix something now. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can continue to chip away at that barrier that’s keeping us from being sustainably good over the course of a game and over the course of a season.”
The Sparks get one more chance to turn around their road trip before heading home. They visit Dallas on Sunday morning. An 0-4 trip would make the record feel hollow. But Ogwumike has never been one to let a bad situation define her. She just broke a legend’s scoring record in a loss. She’d rather break the losing streak next.
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