Colin Cowherd Accuses WNBA Of Being 'Paranoid, Weird' League

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jun 25, 2026 1:54 PM ET

Fox Sports radio host Colin Cowherd has lost his patience with the WNBA.

During Wednesday night's game between the Phoenix Mercury and Indiana Fever, fans noticed that Alyssa Thomas shoved her fist into Caitlin Clark's throat. It was clearly a flagrant foul, and yet, the officials on the court didn't blow the whistle. Unfortunately, the former No. 1 pick from Iowa had to leave the game early due to injury.

“Absolutely disrespectful. We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. … When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating.”

Cowherd offered his thoughts on Thomas laying a cheap shot on Clark during this Thursday's episode of "The Herd." He also called out the WNBA for snubbing its most marketable player from its 30th anniversary poster.

"The WNBA just keeps driving into a wall at full speed with Caitlin Clark. They have a commemorative poster for 30 years of the WNBA; Caitlin Clark isn't on it. This isn't an ode to the veterans who started the league - Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are on it. When she broke into the league, you [the WNBA] moved her road games to accommodate the fans. She made such an impact that you transitioned to private jets. And yet Caitlin isn't on the 30-year poster," Cowherd said. "Her games got double the ratings of A'ja Wilson, the best player in the league. This is a paranoid, weird, insular league."

Should Caitlin Clark leave the WNBA?

Former NFL running back LeSean McCoy believes the WNBA could be in trouble if it fails to protect Clark from hard fouls.

“If Caitlin Clark keeps getting fouled like this, there won’t be a WNBA,” McCoy said. “If I’m Caitlin Clark, I’m done, man. I’ll take myself somewhere else. If Caitlin Clark said today, ‘I’m done with the WNBA,’ where would the WNBA be? It’d be over.”

Boomer Esiason, meanwhile, thinks Clark should consider leaving the WNBA to play basketball overseas.

“I were Caitlin Clark, I would seriously consider going to play overseas somewhere and get the royal treatment and get real money,” Esiason said. “She can’t go to the Russians – we saw that Brittney Griner got stuck there. But a lot of women play overseas to supplement their income. I know Caitlin makes a lot of money from endorsements, but I think there’s a lot of jealousy [in the WNBA]. She’s a straight white basketball player, and she is not being treated with any sort of respect.”

Clark has not yet addressed all the speculation regarding her future in the WNBA.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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