Dave Portnoy and Cathy Engelbert both get paid to talk in front of cameras. Portnoy gets paid based on his ability to stir up clicks and views, while the commissioner gets paid to promote her league. While there are similarities, there are some key differences, as Engelbert’s desire to be in front of the camera can shift based on the situation, while Portnoy and other pundits seldom have a reason to stay out of the spotlight.
Engelbert recently faced criticism when she reportedly stood up radio host Dan Patrick for an interview, which set off Portnoy. In a post on X on Monday, Portnoy slammed the WNBA commissioner, pulling no punches.
“Cathy Engelbert is a coward and the worst commissioner in all of sports,” he posted.
In the video clip, Portnoy sharply criticized the WNBA commissioner.
“These people work for you. You’re the commissioner of the WNBA,” he said. “What do you mean your PR people won’t let you go on? It’s your decision. You’re their boss. Of course you can overrule. That’s a total lie, total cop out.
“She’s a total coward, and she has mismanaged this league from the word ‘go’ the second Caitlin Clark got in here. They don’t know how to handle it. She doesn’t know how to answer questions. She always plays the defensive ‘you wouldn’t ask this if I was a male,’ basic questions. She is a disaster.”
The criticism of Engelbert has reached a new level in recent weeks amid an outcry from players like Clark demanding an improvement to the referee situation in the league. Referees are not full-time in the WNBA, leaving too much room for error in the eyes of many.
Meanwhile, Patrick spoke about the commissioner’s last-minute no-show after agreeing to come on his progran.
“We waited and we waited and we waited,” Patrick said. “And then we got word… that the commissioner said that the WNBA staff, the PR staff, said that she is now allowed to do this. They would prefer that she not do this.”
Jemele Hill Calls Out Cathy Engelbert
While criticism has reached a fever pitch among players and fans, Dave Portnoy was not the only pundit to have called out the commissioner.
In a July 10 post on X via a Friday post from The Spun, former ESPN host Jemele Hill all but called for Cathy Engelbert’s job. The notable name’s biggest statement was that Hill believed Engelbert was in over her head.
“As commissioner, she’s supposed to set the tone for the league. I don’t think she’s built for the moment the W is in. She should be out front on this, and she isn’t. Weak statements aren’t going to cut it,” Hill posted.
With criticism reaching new heights and the spotlight only getting brighter on the league and the fall slate of sports on the horizon, the pressure is on for the league to put out fires before it becomes all that was remembered of the 2026 season.
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