What’s next for the future Hall of Famer?

After 15 seasons, Nneka Ogwumike will retire from the WNBA at the end of this season.

On August 19, Ogwumike announced that this will be her final season in the WNBA as she prepares to move on.

Ogwumike is still playing at an All-Star level and is on pace to shoot above 50 percent from the field in every season of her career. When you’ve been as good as Ogwumike has been, it’s a bit surprising to step away. However, Ogwumike knew as soon as training camp that it felt like the right time to close this chapter.

"It's a little bit my body," Ogwumike told Taylor Rooks. "I still feel very good, but I also feel the comfort of slowing down a little bit. I also feel mentally that I just feel content. I feel very content with where I've left my career with 15 years under my belt. I feel very content about what we were able to achieve coming into this season, where we see the league today.”

Following the announcement, tributes came pouring in across the basketball community. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame reminded us that Nneka will be eligible for admission into the Hall in 2029. It’s safe to say Ogwumike can start getting fitted for her Hall of Fame jacket now.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert shared a statement celebrating Nneka, and players like Angel Reese spoke about what Nneka means to them.

While her WNBA career is ending, she still plans to play basketball. Front Office Sports reports that Ogwumike intends to play for Project B this winter.

Ogwumike was the first player to join the new league, but between the questions about the ethics of the league’s past associations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the lack of a full roster being publicly announced, etc., there are a lot more questions than answers regarding this league.

The 2016 WNBA MVP is currently President of the WNBPA, but will cede that role upon her exit from the WNBA. The PA will hold elections at the end of the year and at that point, the players will elect a new leader. Ogwumike leaves the WNBPA after securing a new CBA that provides players with a lot more benefits and is in a position to capitalize on the successes of the 2020s.

Nneka Ogwumike is one of the most important players in WNBA history. She excelled on the court and changed the game off the court. As she moves on, she leaves the game in a much better position than when she found it. The WNBA will miss her.

Black Rosie Media will be on the scene for Ogwumike's final game in Seattle, and we'll have plenty more to come going forward.

Here’s what you need to know today:

‼️FIBA World Cup Field Guide - Volume I
The WBB Roundup World Cup Field Guide — For Subscribers!

🏀 Game of the weekend
DeWanna Bonner’s new team takes on the WNBA’s best.

💰 Money moves
Unrivaled scales up in advance of Year 3.

🗓 Upcoming games
What’s on deck to begin the week.

📰 What we’re reading
Some great writing that’s come across our desks.

We built something for Berlin.

Berlin 2026: The WBB Roundup World Cup Field Guide is a living, updatable tracker covering every team, every game, and every storyline heading into the FIBA Women's World Cup — September 4–13 in Germany.

16 nations. 36 games. One trophy. USA chasing a five-peat.

Here's what's inside:

We're updating it before every edition — twice weekly — through the final whistle on September 13.

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BONNER SIGNS WITH ATLANTA. HER DEBUT COULD COME AGAINST THE BEST TEAM IN THE WNBA.

DeWanna Bonner has found a new team.

In Issue 150 of the Women’s Basketball Roundup, we discussed Bonner’s release from the Phoenix Mercury. Bonner left the team to join a playoff team as she chases her third WNBA championship. It didn’t take long, but DB quickly signed with the Atlanta Dream after she cleared waivers.

Bonner will not play in the Dream’s August 28 matchup against the Portland Fire, but all signs point to her debuting against the best team in the WNBA.

For the Dream, Bonner could help them withstand the extended absence of Brionna Jones. During pregame on August 28, Dream General Manager Dan Padover said they will have an update on Jones following the World Cup break. Without Jones, the Dream have had to rely more on Madina Okot coming off the bench.

In this matchup, Atlanta will rely more on Angel Reese. Quietly, Reese has been making a case for the All-WNBA team, and maybe Defensive Player of the Year. The third-year forward owns the record for most rebounds in a single season and has helped Atlanta be a top-five defense in the league this season.

Against the Lynx, she will try to keep Collier and her teammates out of the paint and forced into challenging jumpers.

Since returning, Collier has picked up where she left off. Phee is averaging around 18 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes a game on .507/.475/.865 shooting splits. Collier is back to her superstar self, and she’ll be joining Team USA in Berlin for the World Cup following this matchup.

Instinctively, you would assume a player of Collier’s caliber would take the extra time off following an extended injury absence to rest and recover. But Phee has bigger goals in mind.

"I wouldn't want to take three weeks off when I'm just getting my conditioning back,” Collier told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews. “I'm using it as a part of this process. One of my big goals was to make this [USA Basketball] team. I didn't want this to be a break. I need it to make sure I'm good enough for the playoffs."

With Collier continuing to round into shape, the Lynx figure to be an incredibly tough matchup for any playoff team. The Minnesota Lynx have been the story of the WNBA season. Led by the winningest coach in league history, Cheryl Reeve, and superstar point guard Olivia Miles, Minnesota has been in first place for the majority of the season.

Lynx vs. Dream could be a potential playoff preview.

While the Lynx have the top seed in control, the Dream still have plenty to play for down the stretch. Atlanta is trying to break into that top tier of contenders, and a win against the Lynx would send them into the break on a high note.

UNRIVALED LOOKS TO EXPAND ITS REACH IN 2027.

Unrivaled is gearing up for a big 2027.

On August 26, the 3×3 league announced that they now have a valuation of $650 million. It’s a big step forward for Unrivaled, and they plan to make the absolute most of it.

"This raise reflects the confidence investors have in what we set out to build at Unrivaled: a league where the best players in the world have a real stake in the value they create," Breanna Stewart said. "Moving forward, this investment gives us even more resources to support our players, elevate the experience for fans, and grow a league that is shaping the future of women's basketball."

Unrivaled will get to work on elevating the experience for fans by expanding the number of road games they’ll play. In 2026, Unrivaled played special road games in Philadelphia and Brooklyn to sold-out, record-setting crowds. They will play in “four times as many” road venues in 2027 across the United States as they work to grow the league’s footprint and provide fans with great pro women’s basketball during the WNBA offseason.

Players such as Stewart, Cameron Brink, Skylar Diggins, Paige Bueckers, etc., will be back for Unrivaled in 2027, as well as debuting players like Olivia Miles and Flau’jae Johnson.

Unrivaled has done a lot right. They’ve grown each year of their existence, have a steady TV partner and easily accessible schedule, and feature some of the best players in women’s basketball. As the league continues on its journey, they hope to bring even more people into the fun.

Here’s the schedule for the next few days

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

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