On Aug. 19, Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike announced that she would retire from the WNBA at the end of the 2026 season. Her legacy is enormous: All-Star appearances, a WNBA championship in 2016, league and Sparks records, and a historic collective bargaining agreement that has her fingerprints all over it as the president of the players’ association. What’s less tangible but equally impactful is the mark she leaves on her teammates as an on- and off-court leader and mentor.
Forward Cameron Brink has only played one season with Ogwumike in a Sparks jersey, but their past as Stanford graduates and their current friendship gives them a special bond.
Ogwumike led Stanford to four Final Fours between 2008 and 2012. Days before Brink played her first collegiate game in 2020, Ogwumike sat down (virtually) with her to talk about the pressure of joining the storied Stanford program. Ogwumike’s advice was consistent with her role throughout her time in the WNBA: “Understand that your identity isn’t just you playing, but you can become such a better person through what you do on the court and of course off the court.”
“My relationship with Nneka has always been so amazing,” Brink told reporters at the Sparks’ preseason media day this year. “She’s someone that’s just so easy to say amazing things about because she’s just so consistent every day. She is who she is, and that’s an amazing human.”
Brink shared a car ride to fellow Cardinal alum Jayne Appel-Marinelli’s home with Ogwumike when Brink was a senior in college. Brink said she was struck by Ogwumike’s vulnerability and openness and how easy it is to talk to her.
This season, the on-court relationship between Ogwumike and Brink has grown to match the comfort Brink feels off the court.
“Nneka can literally do everything,” Brink told The IX Sports in May. “I just kind of find ways to supplement what she’s doing.”
Twelve of Brink’s 45 assists this season have gone to Ogwumike. That’s more than a quarter of her total, funneled toward one teammate. Ogwumike has returned the favor seven times.
They’ve also made the Sparks better when they play together. In the 903 minutes Ogwumike has played without Brink this season, the Sparks’ net rating is minus-8.00, meaning that opponents have outscored them by 8 points per 100 possessions. In the 266 minutes Brink has played without Ogwumike, the Sparks’ net rating is minus-8.86. But in the 306 minutes those two are together on the floor, it flips to plus-2.78.
The team’s overall net rating this season is minus-5.2, so the Ogwumike-Brink pairing isn’t just better than the Sparks’ baseline. It’s a rare lineup combination running in positive territory on a team that’s mostly experienced losses.
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For all the praise Brink has given Ogwumike, Ogwumike returns the compliments and then some. After the Sparks’ win over the Washington Mystics on Aug. 28, Ogwumike raved about her teammate in an on-court interview: “If you … were to imagine a W player, she’s what a W player would look like. I just want to make sure she understands that not only does she belong in this league, belong on this team, but she is a huge asset.
“And I’m so grateful to be able to play with her this season, and I’m pouring as much as I have left into these last few games. I’m still going to be around and helping her out, but I want to be able to do something with her live. So these last few games, I’m really taking my time to ensure that I give Cam a lot of love.”
The Sparks have felt a ton of disappointment this season: an injury to a star player in guard Kelsey Plum, her subsequently being traded to the Phoenix Mercury, the team’s failure to make the playoffs, and the bittersweet nature of Ogwumike’s retirement announcement. In that context, Ogwumike’s commitment is a bright spot. Her investment in Brink is something that Brink and the Sparks will carry forward, as the young player is nearly sure to be part of the roster next season.
Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts recognized this relationship and influence early in the season. “[Brink] is going to be a huge part of our season,” Roberts told reporters in May. “The other side of that is [Cam] learning from someone like Nneka. They had a relationship before … and Nneka has taken on that big sister vibe with Cam.”
In August, prior to Ogwumike’s retirement announcement, Roberts talked about the impact that her relationship-building has had on the team. “Ogwumike’s a generous person and she takes care of her teammates,” Roberts said. “… The person that I think has been most impacted this season is Cameron Brink. … Nneka has really taken Cam under her wing and has coached her up, just the one-on-one [coaching], in her ear, talking. And Cam absorbs it all and takes it in the right ways.”
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While Ogwumike has clearly taken a special interest in Brink’s growth, it doesn’t stop with her fellow Cardinal. She has relished being a teammate of guard/forward Rae Burrell’s this season. And she recently discovered that she played in the McDonald’s All-American game with guard Chance Gray’s sister, Amber.
Ogwumike is quick to acknowledge that having a lasting personal impact is something she wants to be part of her legacy, not just on individual teammates, but also teamwide and leaguewide. Her reflections have become more direct as time has gone on, and she said she sees herself in her teammates.
“There’s just so many different ways that the authentic connection can just kind of breed a little bit of that relationship that hopefully is lasting,” Ogwumike said. “I just try my best to be very present. I want to empower a lot of these younger players in the same way that I was empowered coming up, and understand that we’re not just here to play games and move on.”
After the Washington win, Ogwumike was asked how she’s made herself a resource to younger teammates. “There’s not a lot of mustard on my hot dog,” she said, indicating that she tries not to be flashy, keeps things simple and makes herself approachable. The comment made Brink crack up and cover her face. The self-deprecating remark landed harder than a polished answer likely would’ve, and it shows what type of leader Ogwumike is.
In a tough loss to the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 24, Ogwumike had 27 points and 16 rebounds and Brink delivered 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Asked about her own growth as a leader, Brink told reporters, “Nneka has taught me you don’t have to say much, but when you speak up, make sure it’s important, people feel included and you’re meeting them where they’re at. I feel like I still have a long way to go, and I’m still building my confidence in that sense. But I do feel like the more I talk, the more together we feel as a team, so I’m just going to keep leaning on that.”
Brink went on to call Ogwumike an incredible role model, adding that the way she leads by example by coming into practice early, doing the “little things” and modeling leadership for others has changed her perspective.
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Ogwumike isn’t going out sulking about missing the playoffs. She’s made her intention clear. “I’m excited to see the youth in this league, but especially the youth on the Sparks. I’m very grateful that I get to play with the future here in Cam as well,” she said.
Ogwumike is irreplaceable on the court in terms of her impact. Averaging 17.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season, she’s hardly playing like someone ready to retire. But her legacy was never just about her own stat line in purple and gold. It will also live on in her impact on Brink, a player the Sparks hope will be a cornerstone for years to come.
Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Washington Mystics, holds a minority stake in The IX Sports. The IX Sports’ editorial operations are entirely independent of Monumental and all other business partners.
