One of the biggest disappointments in the 2025 NBA playoffs was the early exit from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers looked dangerous with James Harden, a healthy Kawhi Leonard, and a new billion-dollar arena that captured the energy the team had been missing. But their run was cut short by the Denver Nuggets in a tough opening series that went 7 games.
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WNBA star Chiney Ogwumike felt the Clippers’ early playoff exit like a gut punch. But as a new season approaches, her optimism is jumping back up to ten. Ogwumike spoke about the squad, including their new add-ons, Bradly Beal and future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul.
“I always get so excited about the Clippers, so excited to start a season, and I always get my heart broken, but I think we are gonna jump back in,” she joked. The two-time All-Star mentioned that she did hope that the Lakers showed up for LA next season, too, but is putting all of her focus onto what the Clippers have done this offseason.
“I am really intrigued by what the Clippers have done. If you get a 17-point-per-game scorer on 40% from three, you’re going to be like, ‘Oh my gosh,'” the player turned analyst stated.
She is right. Beal was fading away with the Phoenix Suns and wasn’t making a splash, especially considering he was on a team with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. But even with Beal’s talents, CP3, Harden, Lopez, and Kawhi, Ogwumike is concerned about one thing: age.
“Now, the only cause for pause I have with the Clippers and Bradley Beal is this is one of the oldest, I assume, rosters in the NBA. CP, 40. Brook Lopez, 37. Age isn’t nothing but a number when it comes to Chris Paul and LeBron James and this recent generation of greats who have taken care of their bodies.”
Ogwumike then went on to express how this past NBA Finals matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the OKC Thunder, two VERY young teams, proved her point.
“The only concern I have, we saw in the NBA Finals, it was young legs, fresh legs, running and gunning. You have to be able to compete. And the reason why I am giving them a little bit of a benefit is that they ran into a buzzsaw that was Denver Nuggets.”
Again, Ogwumike is right on the money. The Clippers were drastically fatigued by Game 7, which is a big reason why Jokic and the Nuggets bested them. Even if they did survive, would they have lasted a second round against the eventual champs?
It’s a What-If we’ll never know. What Clippers fans should be excited about is that their team, despite being a little on the older side, is looking stronger than they were a season ago. Ogwumike agreed. “They are better now then they were before,” she stated.
It’s a shame that the Clippers weren’t in the East. The lack of competition from that side, following the colossal misfortunes of the Pacers and Celtics, has left the Conference wide open. Sure, the Knicks are good, but imagine this Clippers team on that side? They would coast directly to the NBA Finals.
Regardless, the summer is drawing closer to its end, which means the 2025-2026 NBA season is that much closer to becoming a reality.
