Og wumike secures WNBA 30th anniversary victory with buzzer-beater
Nneka Og wumike’s late three-pointer capped a 17-point second-half comeback at Crypto.com Arena, marking a significant moment for the league’s history and governance.
Nneka Og wumike scored 24 points, including a decisive buzzer-beating three-pointer, to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to a 98-97 victory over the New York Liberty on Sunday night. The result completed a 17-point second-half comeback for the Sparks in a sold-out contest at Crypto.com Arena, held to mark the 30th anniversary of the WNBA’s inaugural game.
The match served as a direct rematch of the league’s first contest, which took place on June 21, 1997, when the Liberty defeated the Sparks 67-57 at the Great Western Forum. Sunday’s event drew a crowd of 18,043 and featured tributes to past legends, including Lisa Leslie and Kym Hampton, who re-created the inaugural tip-off to honour the franchise’s history.
Og wumike, a 15-year veteran and the president of the WNBA Players Association, was instrumental in the team’s success and the league’s recent collective bargaining agreement. Her performance included 12 points in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter, with both of her three-point attempts occurring in the last 90 seconds. She finished with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals, shooting 61.6 per cent from the field.
The victory holds particular significance given Og wumike’s role in securing a historic new CBA, which introduced a 364 per cent increase in salaries and a revenue-sharing system. She returned to the Sparks in free agency after a stint with the Seattle Storm, aiming to restore competitiveness to the franchise while simultaneously driving labour reforms that have elevated professional standards across the league.
Sparks coach Lynn Roberts described the outcome as scripted in its perfection, noting that the entire locker room believed in Og wumike’s ability to deliver in high-pressure situations. Teammates and leadership alike have cited her consistency and leadership as central to the team’s culture, with Og wumike reflecting on the emotional weight of the occasion and the support from former players who helped establish the league’s foundation.
