Chiney Ogwumike has doubled down on her defense of Alyssa Thomas after the Phoenix Mercury star’s one-game suspension for pressing down on Caitlin Clark’s neck on Wednesday. On Sunday, Ogwumike said on the ESPN Countdown show that there were “narratives created” regarding the incident over a “freeze-frame.” Ogwumike added that the league only took action on the “non-call” due to online outrage.
Clark’s supporters fumed over Ogwumike downplaying the magnitude of the incident. However, it didn’t deter her from maintaining her stance when she appeared on ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith’s show on Monday. Smith asked if the outrage on fouls against Clark has been based on isolated incidents or if there was resentment towards the Fever star, to which Ogwumike replied, saying:
“I know Caitlin and Caitlin loves hoops and she understands the nature of what she signed up for. I know Alyssa Thomas; I played with them. These are just players that are just trying to go out there and do their job, and so it’s sometimes a tough one. Like, the players become figures when (in) reality, all of us just want to focus on the game at hand and move on.
“And so, having the historical experience of knowing these instances, where people have been challenged, this is not necessarily foreign. A lot of new fans probably don’t understand that.”
It’s a long-standing debate whether the kind of defense and physicality that Caitlin Clark faces is the norm for players of her caliber or if she has been treated differently. That continues to divide not just fans, but media and analysts as well.
Like Ogwumike, most blame the new fans that have come into the WNBA space after Clark’s debut for blowing things out of proportion. However, in Wednesday’s case, it may have been warranted as the incident with Thomas wasn’t reviewed at all in the first place.
Moreover, Clark was undercut by Mercury players on other occasions, leading to hard falls. The Fever ruled out Clark in the third quarter after aggravating her existing back injury. She also missed Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Jason Whitlock backs Chiney Ogwumike for calling out “bogus” claims by Caitlin Clark supporters
Jason Whitlock backed Chiney Ogwumike on Monday after she downplayed Alyssa Thomas’ Flagrant 2 foul on Caitlin Clark. Whitlock said Clark’s supporters were making “bogus” claims this season on the referees targeting the Fever star.
“Chiney Ogwumike was spot on with her analysis of the bogus narrative that the WNBA refs target Caitlin Clark,” he wrote on X while amplifying a video of his show, “Fearless.”
Whitlock strongly believes that the narrative was true when Clark was a rookie. However, he believes that’s not the case, and Clark is treated as fairly as anyone in the WNBA. He also downplayed the Alyssa Thomas incident in real time and alleged that Clark wasn’t injured.
Read more:
- “Dumbest Take”: Fans Slam Emmanuel Acho for Calling Caitlin Clark a “Distraction” for the WNBA in Bizarre Claim
- “Be Around People Who Love You for Being You!”: Fans React as Caitlin Clark Reunites with Former Iowa Teammates
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