The controversy surrounding both the WNBA and Cathy Engelbert continues to trend upwards after an unexpected callout from Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier days ago. Collier had accused her of dodging accountability while revealing alleged comments that Engelbert made about Caitlin Clark during a previous conversation.
According to the Lynx forward, the commissioner allegedly stated that Clark should be grateful to the WNBA for affording her the platform where she currently earns $16 million. This surprise disclosure by Collier kicked off a storm, immediately forcing Engelbert to issue a statement just before the start of the 2025 WNBA Finals.
But it seemed her initial statement did little to quell the increasing criticisms she and the league quickly came under. In a bid to further address those allegations, Cathy Engelbert appeared in a media briefing where reporters asked if she had made those comments about Caitlin Clark.
During the press conference, ESPN reporters Malika Andrews and Alexa Philippou asked Engelbert if what she's accused of saying about the Fever star is true. However, she first tried to deflect the questions from the journalists, saying that there were inaccuracies in Collier's statement, before finally denying that she had made the statement.
"Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She's been a great representative of the game. She's brought tens of millions of fans to the game," Engelbert said.
But her response in the presser quickly sparked reactions online among fans who seem to think that she wasn't completely honest.
Many WNBA fans noticed that Engelbert tried to twist her answers to avoid answering questions about her comments about Caitlin Clark . Some also noticed that she wasn't forthcoming when asked if she said the players should kneel to thank the league for the opportunity.
As such, fans believed she was merely putting up damage control measures after the outrage it caused last week rather than actually denying the accusations outright. Especially as Engelbert did not specifically say Napheesa Collier was lying, while also not admitting that she made those comments.
Based on her responses in her latest interview, many fans have called on her to step down. Below are examples of reactions from basketball fans.
"Didn't directly answer either question. Guilty as charged," one fan wrote .
"Time for a new commissioner," another fan commented.
"My God! At this point, she's getting exposed. We're just seeing who she really is," wrote one fan.
"She responding like she said exactly what was reported," chimed in another fan.
While it's unlikely that Engelbert will decide to step down, it's clear that fans believe it is time for a new regime to lead the league into its new era.
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