Chiney Ogwumike claiming that A’ja Wilson is ‘greater’ than Tom Brady exposes ESPN’s WNBA credibility problem
ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike made headlines this week for downplaying Alyssa Thomas throat-punching Caitlin Clark on the basketball court. She claimed Clark "embellishes" contact while Thomas simply "plays hard."
Ogwumike then suggested the punch was only visible in slow motion, as if replay speed somehow alters reality.
"When narratives are created based off of a freeze-frame, that can create a huge problem. The league was reacting to the optics of that image," Ogwumike said.
As it turns out, that segment might not have been Ogwumike's most embarrassing performance of the week. On ESPN, she hosted a segment asking whether WNBA star A'ja Wilson's greatness surpasses, wait for it, Tom Brady's.
"Safe Space: Is A'ja Wilson's greatness more impressive than Tom Brady's?" the chyron asked.
Ogwumike didn't hesitate.
"Tom's winning is boring," she said. "That don't apply to A'ja. A'ja is more interesting than Tom. A'ja is that girl."
She argued that the "dynamic nature of basketball" gives Wilson the edge over Brady, adding that Wilson can "step off the court like she's in Fashion Week."
Look, we understand it's July, but come on. Greater than Tom Brady?
The fact that ESPN devoted airtime to this debate is quite curious.
A'ja Wilson is a phenomenal basketball player. We agree. She is the best women's player in the world (though not the face of the WNBA). Many analysts believe she has a chance to become the greatest player in league history.
The operative word is chance.
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Tom Brady already occupies the pinnacle of his sport. He won seven Super Bowls, more than any NFL franchise. His dominance of professional football spanned more than two decades.
Brady reached such a rare level of excellence that the list of American athletes with comparable legacies is minuscule. The list includes the likes of Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Muhammad Ali.
By contrast, many all-time WNBA rankings still place Wilson behind Diana Taurasi, Sheryl Swoopes and Tamika Catchings. At least for now.
Further, there are 32 teams in the NFL. There are 15 active WNBA teams. Comparing Wilson's championship wins, which still trail Brady's by four, is not exactly an adequate exercise.
Oddly, Ogwumike invoked Brady to elevate Wilson. Instead, she invited a comparison that Wilson simply cannot win.
That is precisely why the segment came across as pandering, a critique that increasingly defines Ogwumike's media career.
After a promising start as one of ESPN's true rising stars, Ogwumike has grown increasingly preachy and uninformed. Her coverage of Caitlin Clark is especially difficult to defend.
Last year, she urged the WNBA to investigate a Clark fan for allegedly directing "monkey noises" at Angel Reese. No evidence ever substantiated the accusation. Ogwumike later posted an apology video, which OutKick was told ESPN encouraged her to record due to the reckless nature of her remarks.
Now, just days after defending a player who drove her fist into Clark's neck, Ogwumike tells ESPN viewers that A'ja Wilson's greatness surpasses Tom Brady's because Brady is "boring" while Wilson wears fashionable clothes.
If the strongest case a commentator can make for elevating a current WNBA player above the greatest quarterback in NFL history rests on personality and wardrobe, perhaps it's time to give someone else a try on set.
Ogwumike's commentary has eroded the credibility of ESPN's WNBA coverage through what increasingly appears to be a deliberate effort to diminish not only Caitlin Clark, but now, apparently, even Tom Brady.
ESPN should demand more from its analysts.
