Cathy Engelbert addressed the media before the WNBA Finals / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
The WNBA is at a turning point. In addition to far-apart discussions on a new collective bargaining agreement, Lynx forward Napheesa Collier eviscerated league leadership and specifically WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in her team’s exit interviews after Minnesota was eliminated by the Mercury.
Collier called out “a lack of accountability from the league office,” sparked by officiating critiques from the Lynx-Phoenix series and strange conversations she claimed to have had directly with Engelbert. Minnesota’s star forward shared details of a conversation the two had in February about how the league planned to fix the fact that young superstars like Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Sky forward Angel Reese and guard Paige Bueckers play on miniscule salaries over their rookie deals.
Engelbert allegedly told Collier that “Caitlin should be grateful” and that “players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them.” That alleged comment, amongst many other pain points highlighted by Collier, drew massive public criticism as the league negotiates a new CBA with the players association.
Ahead of the WNBA Finals which tipped off Friday evening, Engelbert addressed Collier’s monologue which was bound to be the center of the conversation. The commissioner quickly denied that she made the disheartening comment about Clark.
“Obviously, I did not make those comments,” Engelbert said to reporters Friday. “Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game, she’s brought in tens of millions of new fans to the game. I’m proud of what she’s put on the court, unfortunately the injuries held her back from a full season this year.
“I’m not going to get into every point, counterpoint, it’s not productive here, we’re here to celebrate the WNBA Finals. … as I said, there was a lot of inaccuracies reported out there and I certainly did not say that.”
Based on Collier’s comments, Engelbert allegedly said that Clark should be grateful for the platform the WNBA gives her because it paves the way for lucrative sponsorship deals. Collier’s statement seemed calculated and was undoubtedly well prepared, so it’s a bit strange the commissioner would fully deny the comments and not try to set the record straight on what was said.
Engelbert did say that she has been in touch with Collier and the two plan to meet next week. She opened up that she was disheartened by the comments, but she kept it at there was “a lot of inaccuracy about what I said or what I didn’t say” while acknowledging she has to do better if the players don’t feel appreciated.
The contention between the league and its players is higher than it’s ever been with many league-mates voicing their support for Collier after her strong monologue. With Engelbert outright denying the Clark comment, we’ll see where the remaining fallout lands.
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