Cathy Engelbert has been in hot water, and fans have called her out for avoiding difficult questions, especially on Caitlin Clark. The WNBA commissioner earlier made news when she reportedly “ghosted” analyst Dan Patrick after she dodged a scheduled interview. And now, ESPN reported that Engelbert might be on the hot seat for her position at the helm of the WNBA.
WNBA reporter Alexa Philippou reported on ESPN that Engelbert has shown reluctance in building a healthy relationship with Caitlin Clark. That might have led the league’s stakeholders to consider a change in the position. Analyst Evan Sidery shared the report on X and wrote:
“Many WNBA owners, executives and players want Cathy Engelbert to be fired as commissioner at the end of this season.”
Clark has encountered a lot of issues on and off the court since the start of the season. She also got in several physical tussles in games, collecting six technical fouls this season. This led fans and some analysts to believe that players were deliberately targeting her. However, Engelbert’s efforts to curtail that didn’t seem enough, considering NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had to reportedly pressure her to suspend Alyssa Thomas for a flagrant foul on Clark.
Fever fans demanded that the league protect Clark through restrictions, given she is the one who brought a major change in getting the league global recognition. The rumors of Engelbert’s firing are also not new, as sources earlier suggested that a change might be coming soon.
Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA look to curb online hate
Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA leadership reportedly discussed the state of online hate directed towards players of the league. After Sophie Cunningham, Alyssa Thomas, Caitlin Clark and others reported receiving extreme hate, especially on social media, curbing such acts was also one of the priorities for the WNBA.
ESPN wrote on X:
“The WNBA and players’ association held a videoconference Tuesday to discuss a variety of issues, including recent “racist, hateful, and abusive messages directed at players,” according to a joint statement released Wednesday.”
The WNBA is set to enter All-Star weekend, and Engelbert might be faced with similar questions during media sessions. Meanwhile, Clark and her Fever teammates will get ready to enjoy the weekend with other stars.
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