LOS ANGELES, Calif. — June 21, 2026, marked 30 seasons (but 29 years) to the day since the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks tipped off the first game in WNBA history. That game took place at the old Great Western Forum (now the Kia Forum) in Inglewood, about 10 miles southwest of Crypto.com Arena.
On Sunday, the league brought the two franchises back together for a nostalgic and emotional 30th season celebration. From the throwback uniforms, to the boisterous crowd of 18,000, to the Sparks legends in the building, the stage was set for a historic contest. And the teams more than delivered.
To start the game, Kym Hampton and Lisa Leslie recreated their ceremonial tipoff from 1997. Leslie wore a striking neon pantsuit and waved and smiled at the Sparks faithful. The Compton local and USC alum won the tip, much to the delight of those in the building who had witnessed Leslie win two WNBA championships as a Spark and complete the first dunk in league history.
Before the game, Leslie kicked off a press conference alongside former teammates DeLisha Milton-Jones and Tamecka Dixon by acknowledging the room full of reporters, something she had never experienced as a player.
Leslie went on to say, “When you look at 30 years ago, our idea was never to play to grow the league. We played the game because we appreciated the opportunity to play in our country.” Dixon and Milton-Jones nodded in agreement.
She explained that her generation of players typically had to play overseas for eight or nine months of the year. “To have the WNBA really was an opportunity that we all took very seriously,” she said. “We hugged babies, we kissed babies, we signed autographs for everyone, we understood the assignment. We understood that it was about growing the community and giving back and being role models.”
“The beautiful thing about this 30th anniversary is that I’m happy for the women that get to reap those benefits,” Leslie said. “Everyone’s watching women’s basketball.”
She also added, “We are so proud of the women that stand out there on this court and get this opportunity. But also the fans: the fans who have been here from Day 1, who supported us when it wasn’t popular.”
Throughout the game, the Sparks honored long-term season ticket-holders, including many who have held season tickets since the inaugural season. They played interviews with some of those fans on the jumbotron, thanking them for their commitment, and the fans who could boast all 30 seasons wore enviable commemorative letterman jackets.
“There’s a whole lot you could be doing in LA, so the fact that a person decides to buy tickets and come sit in an arena for a few hours and spend their time, we never took that for granted,” Leslie said pregame. She added that she hopes that the Sparks can get back to honoring their early championship legacy: “It really is about winning. Championships or bust.”
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The 1997 game ended as a 67-57 Liberty victory. By halftime of Sunday’s game, it looked like the 2026 edition would have a similar — albeit much higher-scoring — outcome, as the Liberty led the Sparks 55-43.
Then some legends took the floor. Usually, the halftime whistle signals to fans that it’s time to grab a snack, take a walk, maybe catch part of the halftime performance. But on Sunday, people stayed put, all the way to the top of the upper concourse.
One by one, the Sparks announcer introduced players from the inaugural Liberty team, including Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon, Sue Wicks, Vickie Johnson and Hampton. The loudest cheers came for Rebecca Lobo, Leslie’s opponent in the post for the inaugural game. Lobo called the game on ESPN’s broadcast, a poetic storyline that carried the palpable nostalgia from the arena through the TV screen.
The Sparks honored 12 Sparks legends, including five members of their original roster. Leslie, Dixon, Milton-Jones, Mwadi Mabika, Nicky McCrimmon, Katrina Colleton, Ukari Figgs, Latasha Byears, Sophia Witherspoon, Temeka Johnson, Ebony Hoffman and Essence Carson all took their place at midcourt.
In addition to players, the Sparks honored head coach Michael Cooper, who led the team to the 2001 and 2002 WNBA championships and won WNBA Coach of the Year in 2000. Fans greeted him with the signature “Coooop.” They also recognized Thomas Archie, who has held numerous jobs with the franchise over the last 29 years. The Sparks have never played a season without him.
During the halftime ceremony, Leslie addressed the fans. “Our assignment was to represent every girl who wanted to be us,” she said. “We look forward to 30 more years of greatness and impact on this country.” Leslie will soon be the first female athlete to be recognized with a statue outside the arena.
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By halfway through the third quarter, the Liberty were up by 17, and while the Sparks crowd often goes silent in games like this, it remained energized and loud. Later, veteran Sparks guard Erica Wheeler referred to the crowd as the team’s “sixth man.”
With 6:37 left in the game, guard/forward Rae Burrell hit a 3-pointer to bring the Sparks within 5 points. The fans were beginning to taste it. Leslie and Milton-Jones were on their feet, and comedian and Sparks superfan Leslie Jones pumped up the crowd. The Sparks drew a charge and then blocked a shot, getting the two stops in a row that have eluded them so much this season. Then they converted, tying the game 84-84 with 5:31 remaining on a Wheeler 3-pointer. That resulted in a crowd eruption that had the toddler sitting next to me covering her ears.
Forward Nneka Ogwumike gave the Sparks their first lead since the first quarter with 3:50 left and extended it to 88-85 on their next possession. The Liberty made a 5-point run before Ogwumike scored again. She was a calm, cool, and collected presence in the face of an absolutely chaotic and deafening environment.
After more back and forth (including another three by Ogwumike), the Sparks were down 97-95 with no timeouts left and only 8.6 seconds to go. Wheeler drove into the paint and kicked the ball out to Ogwumike, who drilled a three to win the game for the Sparks, 98-97.
Ogwumike ran toward the Sparks bench with her mouth open, her fists by her sides and a smile on her face before being surrounded by teammates. She finished with 24 points on 11-for-18 shooting, with 12 of her points coming in the fourth-quarter comeback.
After celebrating with her teammates, Ogwumike found Leslie on the court, and they shared an emotional hug. Yes, Ogwumike’s legacy as a Sparks great made her game-winner a storybook ending to the game. But her position as WNBPA president during negotiations over this year’s historic collective bargaining agreement (CBA) makes it a lot more powerful.
The new CBA lifted the team salary cap for 2026 to $7 million. Three players are earning the current supermax of $1.4 million. Players are receiving family planning support, mental health benefits and retirement contributions, and there are recognition payments for retired players. While many individuals played an active role in making these changes, Ogwumike drove those negotiations, spending months at the table on behalf of players at every stage of their careers, including current and former players alike.
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Before the game, Milton-Jones was asked about the aspect of the CBA that pays retired players based on years of service.
“That just shows who Nneka is as a person,” Milton-Jones said. “She is an ambassador, she is someone that thinks beyond herself, and she thinks of those that came before her, the moment she’s in, and even for the future. She’s done a great job of representing all players from all walks of life, from every generation.”
After the game, Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts breathed a sigh of relief before saying, “What a great moment, and the perfect person to hit that.”
“Everyone in our locker room wouldn’t have picked another person to hit that shot,” Roberts went on, as Wheeler nodded next to her. “What she’s done for this league, she’s one of one. So on a night like tonight where we’re honoring the legacy not only of the Sparks but of the league, and what Nneka has done for this league, especially recently with getting that new CBA done, it’s powerful.”
In her on-court interview with ESPN following the game, Ogwumike was brought to tears almost immediately while fans applauded.
“It’s emotional to see all of these legends in the building,” she said. “People who didn’t get paid their value and they’re still coming here, supporting us, I’m so grateful.”
