The ESPN analyst apologizes for the comments on WNBA research on the alleged racist comments of fans

ESPN’s basketball analyst Chiney Ogwumike apologized for the comments he made at the beginning of WNBA’s investigation into the alleged hateful comments towards Chicago Sky players during a game against Indiana’s fever.

Ogwumike said in “getting up” two days after the alleged incident that “if you are really a basketball fan, you would understand and agree that we have no room for that type of comment.”

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Chiney Ogwumike poses for a photo while attending a WNBA game between Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun on May 18, 2025 in Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire through Getty Images)

While News reported that the WNBA was investigating alleged racial insults towards Angel Reese, the League said Tuesday that she could not corroborate those statements.

Ogwumike addressed his previous comments on the situation.

“I want to address this with the same energy I did the first time because if you really know me, I always do my best to raise the WNBA, to celebrate the incredible players, coaches and, of course, the fans,” he said. “That is something in the center of everything I do. But if you know me, you know that I am not afraid to say that I can do better.

Angel Reese ‘must

Los Angeles players Nneka Ogwumike and Chiney Ogwumike, on the right, arrive at the Red Carpet for Espy 2022 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on July 20, 2022. (Gary A. Vasquez-USA Today Sports)

“I regret that my message was in the heat of the moment because when I initially talked about the subject, it really came from a place of attention. It was based on first -hand conversations with people very close to the situation that raised real concerns and told me what they had experienced. I felt it was important and it was necessary to recognize those accusations and also express those experiences.

“Now in the process, however, I totally recognize that you may have affected fans in a way that I did not intend. I’m sorry.”

April 3, 2025; Tampa, fl, USA.; ESPN Gameday Chiney Ogwumike analyst at Amalie Arena. (Kirby Lee-Imagn images)

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Ogwumike added that he was happy for the League to take the investigation seriously. He said that while the League continues to grow, “it will grow with it.”

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