WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert is pushing back against claims that she downplayed Caitlin Clark’s impact on the league.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Engelbert firmly denied making comments attributed to her by Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier.
“Obviously I did not make those comments,” Cathy Engelbert said. “Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game, and she’s brought in tens of millions of new fans.”
Collier had stirred up headlines earlier in the week when she accused Engelbert of saying Clark should be “grateful” for the WNBA platform because it allowed her to make millions off the court. Collier also alleged Engelbert told players they should “be on their knees” thanking her for the league’s media rights deal.
The fallout didn’t stop there. Fever guard Sophie Cunningham chimed in on Instagram, saying “people only know Cathy Engelbert because of Clark.” And when Clark was asked about the situation Thursday, she backed up Collier: “She said it all. She made a lot of valid points.”
The controversy comes at a tense time, with the WNBA and players’ union currently in the middle of collective bargaining negotiations.
Clark, meanwhile, continues to be the face of women’s basketball. Before going No. 1 overall to Indiana in the 2024 draft, she helped Iowa reach two national championship games and drew record-breaking TV audiences, including the 18.9 million who tuned in for Iowa vs. South Carolina in 2024.
She also built a major NIL portfolio worth $3.4 million, with deals from Nike, State Farm, and Topps.
For Engelbert, though, the message remains clear: the alleged comments never happened.
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