Nneka Ogwumike drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Los Angeles Sparks a 98-97 win over the New York Liberty on Sunday, sealing a WNBA 30th-anniversary night that felt ripped straight from a playoff highlight reel. The veteran forward’s winner finished off a comeback from a 17-point hole and sent a roaring Crypto.com Arena crowd into full-on celebration, turning one last possession into a tidy little slice of league history.
The Sparks surged behind Ogwumike, who finished with 24 points, after Erica Wheeler attacked the lane, then kicked the ball out on the final play to find Ogwumike waiting on the wing. She set her feet, let it fly, and buried the buzzer beater, as reported by The Associated Press. The shot punctuated a halftime program that had already honored franchise greats and league founders, and the fans stayed on their feet long after the horn stopped echoing.
A shot for the anniversary
Coach Lynne Roberts called the finish “the perfect person to hit that,” and the Sparks wasted no time mobbing Ogwumike at center court, The New York Times reports. It was a fitting spotlight for Ogwumike, who also serves as president of the players’ union and has been a key voice in the labor talks that reshaped the league. The union lists her as president on its leadership page (WNBPA).
A new CBA, bigger paydays
All of it played out under a new collective bargaining agreement that the league says establishes its first comprehensive revenue-sharing model and moves top WNBA salaries into seven figures. WNBA materials outline a year-one maximum of $1.4 million, with rising averages and expanded benefits designed to lift player pay, travel, staffing and retirement support across the league.
Facility standards and a longer season
The agreement also gets into the nuts and bolts of player health and daily life. Teams must bring practice facilities up to higher standards by 2028, including exclusive locker rooms, a private WNBA-regulation practice court, separate strength and cardio spaces and dedicated medical treatment rooms, according to reporting in The Athletic. The deal also allows for a gradual increase in the schedule, a signal that the league is planning for more games and more revenue in the seasons ahead.
Expansion and the Comets’ return
The map of the WNBA is changing too. Recent additions like the Golden State Valkyries, Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo reshaped rosters through expansion drafts this year, per CBS Sports. Ownership shifts are part of the story as well, with the Connecticut Sun agreeing to a sale that would move the franchise to Houston and revive the Comets name in 2027, a move reported by AP and other outlets.
So Ogwumike’s buzzer-beater landed as more than just a single, jaw-dropping shot. It felt like a snapshot of the league’s larger arc, from contraction and relocation in earlier eras to a moment of expansion, stronger labor protections and bigger checks. “This agreement reflects that shared commitment,” league and union leaders said when the CBA was announced, and on a night filled with banners and alumni the future that deal promises felt a little bit closer. WNBA
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