It takes remarkable intellectual gymnastics to watch the WNBA suspend Alyssa Thomas for striking Caitlin Clark in the throat and still argue that the controversy was driven more by optics than by the hit itself.
Yet that’s exactly where parts of the league’s media landed.
When Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas hit Caitlin Clark in the throat last Wednesday, the league eventually corrected the officials’ mistake by upgrading the play to a Flagrant 2 and issuing a one-game suspension.
Some WNBA analysts searched for ways to justify the contact.
Among 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 officiating and social media optics.
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Rather than squarely criticizing Thomas for the hit, she suggested Clark “can embellish contact in certain situations.”
The twisted reasoning from Ogwumike lost a lot of people.
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“This was a marquee matchup. When you look at Alyssa Thomas and Caitlin Clark, they’re both dominant players, but Alyssa plays on the edge. I know her, and Caitlin, at times, can embellish contact in certain situations,” she said.
“Instead, the league found itself in a position where it had to be reactive. Rather than controlling the game through officiating, it ended up responding after the fact by doing something it rarely does, issuing a suspension for a non-call.
“I’ll add one more thing. I think that largely happened because of the optics. Watching the play live, in real time, I didn’t think much of it because players hit the floor all the time. But once narratives started forming around a freeze-frame image, that changed everything. I do think the league was reacting to the optics of that image.”
Reactions on X called out Chiney’s bias against Clark.
“And this is why nobody respects Chiney’s opinion on ball,” one fan responded.
More reacted, including former NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz.
“Wrong. The league made the right call. Chiney has always hated Caitlin and pushes false narratives. This is a PR clean up for AT and no one is buying it.”
“So did Caitlin embellish getting a hand to the neck? I’m lost here.”
Schwartz posted his thoughts on X, calling out the shockingly few folks in the media taking Clark’s side in this matter.
“Has anyone outside of Lisa Leslie in the WNBA TV media sphere defended Clark. Or at least discussed how that wasn’t a basketball play? Put any blame on Thomas at all? Just seems like everyone is finding ways to make that play seem normal or making Thomas a victim. Seems odd. Like we all see the video. We’ve all watched ball.”
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It’s clear that by framing a play that resulted in a suspension as an optics problem, Ogwumike shifted the conversation away from Thomas’ actions and toward the reaction to them.
Physical play against Clark is often framed as something she simply needs to accept rather than something officials should consistently police. Comments like Ogwumike’s are likely to reinforce that perception.
By framing a play that resulted in a suspension as an optics problem, Ogwumike shifted the conversation away from Thomas’ actions and toward the reaction to them.
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If enough fans decide the league and its media are more interested in protecting enforcers than protecting Caitlin Clark, they should not be surprised when they start tuning out.
Send us your thoughts: [email protected] / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
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