Chiney Ogwumike’s defense of Alyssa Thomas reinforced everything critics say about the WNBA media

It takes remarkable intellectual gymnastics to watch the WNBA suspend Alyssa Thomas for striking Caitlin Clark in the throat and still maintain that the controversy was driven by optics rather than the hit itself.

But some sections of the league’s media have gotten right to that point.

When Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas hit Caitlin Clark in the throat last Wednesday, the league eventually corrected the referees’ mistake by upgrading the game to Flagrant 2 and issuing a one-game suspension.

Some WNBA analysts sought to justify the contact.

One of the most egregious defenses came from former WNBA star and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike.

On Sunday, Ogwumike framed the incident as a broader discussion about governance and social media optics.

WNBA MISSED ALYSSA THOMAS FOR ‘THOUGHT’ SHOOT CAITLIN CLARK IN THE THROAT DURING THE MATCH

Instead of directly criticizing Thomas for the hit, he suggested that Clark could “make contact beautiful in certain situations.”

Ogwumike’s twisted logic lost many people.

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“This was a very important matchup. When you look at Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark, they are both dominant players, but Alyssa plays on the edge. I know her and Caitlin can sometimes make the touch beautiful in certain situations,” she said.

ESPN gameday analyst Chiney Ogwumike at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on April 3, 2025. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Los Angeles Sparks players Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike arrive at the 2022 ESPY Awards red carpet at the Dolby Theater on July 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports)

“Instead, the league found itself in a position where it had to be reactive. Instead of controlling the game through refereeing, it began reacting after the fact by doing something it rarely does: issuing suspensions if the game was not played.

“I’ll add one more thing. I think it’s largely because of the optics. When I was watching the game live in real time, I didn’t think much of it because players kept falling to the ground. But when narratives started to form around the freeze-frame image, that changed everything. I think the league responded to the optics of that image.”

Reactions about X revealed Chiney’s bias against Clark.

“This is why no one respects Chiney’s opinion on the ball,” one fan said.

More fans reacted.

“Wrong. The league made the right decision. Chiney always hated Caitlin and pushed false narratives. This is a PR purge for AT and no one believes it.”

“So, did Caitlin put her hand on her neck to decorate? I’m lost here.”

SOPHIE CUNINGHAM TELLS WNBA REFs THAT HE DID NOT PROTECT CAITLIN CLARK AFTER THEY BEGIN FIGHTING TO PROTECT CAITLIN CLARK

By framing a play that resulted in a suspension as an optical issue, Ogwumike shifted the conversation away from Thomas’ actions and toward the reactions to them.

Physical play against Clark is often framed as something officials just have to accept, not something they need to constantly monitor.

Comments like Ogwumike’s are likely to reinforce this perception.

By framing a play that resulted in a suspension as an optical issue, Ogwumike shifted the conversation away from Thomas’ actions and toward the reactions to them.

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If enough fans decide on the league and the league’s media are more interested in protecting the enforcers than protecting Caitlin Clark, they shouldn’t be surprised when they start to drop out of the league.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com Follow on /x: @alejandroaveela