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LOS ANGELES — As the Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty met Sunday night to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the WNBA’s first game, Nneka Ogwumike found herself tasked with explaining the meaning behind the moment.Who else would it be? The Sparks forward is, after all, “Madame President,” the leader of the players’ union and one of the most veteran players in the league. But her best answer was what she did when the Sparks trailed by two with a second left, when she caught the ball on the left wing, elevated and let it rain.
Splash! As a sold-out Crypto.com Arena celebrated Ogwumike’s buzzer-beater for a 98-97 Sparks victory, it became crystal clear that the meaning of the WNBA’s past 30 seasons was getting to this moment of celebration.
“I just felt the emotions of it all,” Ogwumike said. “Getting the win, it’s more than just a number in the W column. It’s incredibly meaningful, especially for this community of people that have been pouring into us, these legends that have laid the foundation. I just kind of felt it all in that moment.”
Ogwumike, 35, has been a presence in the WNBA for half its existence. She is not only considered one of its best players but also a compass, carefully guiding players beyond the past and into an uncharted future. Her leadership was on full display in the 17 months of negotiations between the WNBA and WNBPA that culminated in a revolutionary collective bargaining agreement that is highlighted by the first $1 million salaries and a historic revenue-sharing model.
“No one in our locker room would have picked another person to hit that shot,” Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. “What she’s done for this league, she’s one of one.”
Expansion and value are the defining qualities reflected in the deal. Both are a far cry from the early days of the WNBA, which spent much of its first 30 seasons searching for stability.
“Every moment was an opportunity to convince somebody new to watch the WNBA or women’s basketball for the first time,” said Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, an original member of the Sparks who spent her entire career in L.A. “We had to convince you that we could play ball and that we could be here.”
Leslie, a three-time MVP and two-time champion, recalled a crammed morning before the first game on the afternoon of June 21, 1997, which included a formal brunch, an autograph session and a photoshoot.
“I was like, ‘Wait a minute, don’t we have a game to play?’ ” she said.
Back then, players couldn’t just show up to the arena as athletes solely focused on playing a game. They were torch-bearers tasked with lighting the way, while simultaneously putting out a product worthy of mainstream fanfare. They did it all while making as little as $15,000 during the league’s inaugural season.
The initial sparkle of the WNBA lasted roughly six seasons before a darker reality set in. Between 2002 and 2009, nine teams — including five of the original eight franchises — either disbanded or relocated because of financial strain.
“What we thought about was just true survival,” Hall of Fame Liberty guard Teresa Weatherspoon said. “We were trying to survive to make sure that our young people had something down the stretch to be a part of and to keep going for generations to come.”
Ogwumike’s earliest memories of the WNBA are from her childhood. She grew up in Houston watching the Comets and going to games with her mother and sister Chiney, who also went on to play in the WNBA.
The original Comets franchise, which won the league’s first four titles, was among the collection of teams that ceased operations in the first decade of the 2000s. Next year, that team will return as an iteration of the Connecticut Sun after the WNBA Board of Governors approved the relocation and sale of the team to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta.
In the past two seasons, the WNBA added three expansion teams: the Golden State Valkyries, Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. By 2030, the league will be up to a record 18 teams with the addition of franchises in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia. They’re joining the league with heightened operational standards they must adhere to, as outlined in the new CBA.
By the 2028 season, every team must provide a practice facility that includes a private locker room, a WNBA regulation basketball court, a separate weight room and cardio space, a medical treatment room and a designated dining area. These criteria are the first of their kind in any WNBA CBA, emphasizing the overdue need for professionalized standards, not just with facilities but also with staffing and operations.
On June 21, 1997, the Sparks sold out The Forum as future Hall of Fame players took the court to begin writing the WNBA’s legend.
On June 21, 2026, the Sparks sold out their arena again, but this time the players didn’t write anything new. They solidified what was already written.
And one player in particular cemented her lore with a shot that 30 years from now could be used as a touch point to define the present.
“In the moment, we’re always trying to do what is best,” Ogwumike said. “We’re always trying to advocate for ourselves. So perhaps we’ll be able to have a panoramic view of (our impact) later on. But living in it, you still just kind of want to continue that greatness and the legacy that so many people have left before us.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, WNBA
2026 The Athletic Media Company
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