ESPN's Chiney Ogwumike Apologizes for Boosting Claims About 'Racist' Angel Reese Insults After WNBA Closes Investigation

Published: May 28, 2025

Women's basketball analyst Chiney Ogwumike apologized Wednesday for speaking out against alleged racist comments made by Indiana Fever fans towards the Chicago Sky's Angel Reese, which were declared unfounded after an investigation by the WNBA.

Ogwumike's apology, shared in a social media video on Tuesday, comes after the WNBA announced earlier in the day that the league allegedly found no evidence of the alleged racist remarks that were said to have been hurled at Reese, 23, and other Sky players following a tense back-and-forth between the Sky forward and her longstanding on-court rival Caitlin Clark.

The WNBA announced earlier Tuesday, "We have investigated the report of racist fan behavior in the vicinity of the court during the May 17, 2025 Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever game. Based on information gathered to date, including from relevant fans, team and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it."

Later in the day, Ogwumike, who played seven years in the WNBA with the Connecticut Sun and the Los Angeles Sparks, apologized for boosting the initial allegations on her social media pages and during an appearance on ESPN earlier this month.

Ogwumike said in her follow-up video apologizing Wednesday that she wanted to "address this with the same energy I did the first time, cause if you really know me, I always try my absolute best to uplift the WNBA, to celebrate the amazing players, the coaches, and of course, the fans, that is something that is at the core of everything that I do."

"But if you know me, you know I'm not afraid to say I can do better," Ogwumike continued. "I am sorry that my message was in the heat of the moment, cause when I initially spoke on the topic, it really came from a place of care. It was based on first-hand conversations with people very close to the situation who raised real concerns, and they told me what they had experienced, and I felt like it was important and it was necessary to acknowledge those allegations and also voice those experiences."

Ogwumike continued: "Now, in the process however, I totally recognize that it may have impacted fans in a way that I did not intend, and I'm sorry. I'm also happy that the WNBA treated the matter with the utmost seriousness, followed through with the investigation, and I understand that having a platform comes with a responsibility and I do not take that lightly."

In the past, WNBA players have accused Fever fans of hurling racist attacks at rival players. Last season, Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas said the fans shout "a lot of nonsense" at opposing players of color. "I think that in my 11-year career I never experienced the racial comments like from the Indiana Fever fan base," Thomas, who is Black, said.

Retired WNBA star Sue Bird defended Clark, 23, from having any personal responsibility for the Fever fans' alleged actions, saying on her podcast with wife Megan Rapinoe that "Racism has been impacting the WNBA well before [Clark entered the league]."

"This is not a new thing," Bird said. "In that way, I think Caitlin is being used as a pawn. Caitlin didn't bring racism to the WNBA. This has been happening. And that, I think, has been a shock for all of us. That other people are surprised by this. We've been trying to tell you."

Clark has spoken out against racism in the past and again slammed the most recent allegations stemming from her team's 93-58 win over the Sky earlier this month. "There's no place for that in our game, there's no place for that in society," Clark said, according to ESPN. "Certainly, we want every person who comes into our arena — whether player or fan — to have a great experience. I appreciate the league doing that [investigation]. I appreciate that the Fever organization has been at the forefront of that."

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