Cathy Engelbert has come under the spotlight after the WNBA commissioner reportedly refused to become part of Dan Patrick’s show last week. Analysts speculated that it was because she didn’t want to answer difficult questions about the league’s recent decisions, especially related to Caitlin Clark. And now, a new report has connected her recent decision to suspend Alyssa Thomas to the NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Thomas and Clark engaged in an on-court tussle during the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury’s June 24 matchup, which brought a one-game suspension for the Mercury guard. That has been in the news for several reasons, and one of them was the hate Thomas received on the internet because of that incident.
Sources told the Sports Business Journal that Silver pressured the WNBA commissioner to suspend Thomas, though she didn’t want to.
In the aftermath, Engelbert suspended Thomas, who also received a $1,000 fine. However, a WNBA spokesperson said the argument that the WNBA commissioner didn’t want to suspend Thomas was “absolutely false.”
Sources in the story also suggested that the internal tussles might lead to Engelbert’s firing. Such disagreements behind the scenes between the leaders of the two leagues might be detrimental to her future, given that the person is selected by the NBA governors.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver paints a grim picture for Cathy Engelbert’s future
According to the source in the story, the media asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver during the Summer League about Cathy Engelbert and her future in the league. Even though he lauded her run at the helm of the league, he also revealed that there were internal discussions about her future:
“I think Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league. We’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.”
Thomas’ suspension opened a can of issues that had been suppressed since the start of the season. Whether it’s Clark’s treatment of game officials or the argument that the league should protect its stars from players who try to bully Clark, critics want Engelbert to address a lot of issues.
READ MORE: Dan Dakich Drops Explosive Claim About Paige Bueckers’ Stance on Black Coaches In WNBA
Sue Bird Cites Olivia Miles’ Notre Dame-TCU Switch While Dissecting Rookie’s Impressive Confidence
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in the NBA, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
