Caitlin Clark fans are not buying WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s recent praise for the Indiana Fever guard. Engelbert made an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday.
During her conversation with McAfee, she discussed the new CBA and also praised Clark, citing her impact on the WNBA’s growth in recent years.
“You need those stars, and Caitlin, without question, has been a huge part of the growth of our league,” Engelbert said. “She is not only an incredible player but a great ambassador for the game. She has done some work with the NBA on NBC this year and I couldn’t be prouder of how she’s handling the moment.”
Fans were quick to criticize Engelbert’s remarks, especially after the revelation Napheesa Collier made at the end of last season. During her exit interview in 2025, Collier called out Engelbert and shared a private conversation with her involving Clark.
“I asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin [Clark], Angel [Reese] and Paige [Bueckers], who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little their first four years,” Collier recently said. “Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything.’”
Since Collier’s words to the media, Engelbert has faced criticism from fans and players alike. Fans flooded the comments section of a clip showing Engelbert praising Clark on ESPN. Some expressed that the praise comes in an effort to save her job.
“Sounds like a job saving move. Cathy needs to go,” one fan wrote.
“She’s just acting behind the scenes she be hating CC,” another fan wrote.
“Someone had a talk with her lol,” one fan said.
“You have no idea the kind of talk she has received back door for which she is now taking it like this. She is still fake to me anyway,” a fan commented.
“It has nothing to do with feelings, it’s business. She has to do this. A commissioner treating their best draw like they are nothing is bad business,” a fan wrote.
Cathy Engelbert denies saying Caitlin Clark should be grateful to the WNBA
Cathy Engelbert was quick to deny Napheesa Collier’s claims regarding the commissioner’s comments on Caitlin Clark. Speaking ahead of last season’s WNBA Finals, she said:
“I did not make those comments. … There is a lot of inaccuracy out there through social media and all of this reporting. I highly respect the players. There is a lot of emotion and passion going on right now between collective bargaining. … I am obviously disheartened.”
While a new CBA has been agreed upon, the fans’ opinion of Cathy Engelbert continues to suffer.
Read More: Caitlin Clark Drops Massive Verdict on NBA’s Best Player Debate Amid Tense Battle At Summit
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