WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert is facing mounting backlash after Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier accused her of dismissing concerns over rookie pay and belittling the impact of the league’s new stars.
Now, former NBA standout Gilbert Arenas has entered the discussion, adding his own pointed take on social media.
On Tuesday, Collier issued a sharp rebuke of league leadership, calling it “the worst leadership in the world” and recounting a February conversation with Engelbert during the first season of the Unrivaled league.
According to Collier, Engelbert argued that Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers should be “grateful” for the WNBA platform and even claimed that players ought to be “on their knees thanking their lucky stars” for the recent broadcast rights deal she secured.
Collier said she pressed Engelbert on how the league planned to address the fact that its most marketable young players were locked into modest rookie contracts while generating massive revenue.
“Her response was, ‘Caitlin should be grateful she makes $60 million off the court because without the platform the WNBA gives her, she wouldn’t make anything,'” Collier recalled.
Arenas fires back
Gilbert Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star who played 11 seasons in the league, wasted little time weighing in. On Wednesday, he posted two messages on Threads pushing back against Engelbert‘s alleged stance.
“That WNBA commissioner need to upgrade her stance. Her statement woulda worked if Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark hadn’t come onto the scene,” Arenas wrote.
In another post, he added: “Them two came into the league retiring their parents. They were millionaires in college already.”
His comments reflect a growing consensus that Clark and Reese are not typical rookies. Both entered the league with massive followings, multimillion-dollar endorsement deals, and unprecedented star power for women’s basketball.
Ahead of the 2024 WNBA Draft, On3 listed Clark‘s NIL valuation at $3.4 million and Reese‘s at $1.8 million, numbers that put them among the highest-earning college athletes in the country. Clark went No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever, while Reese was selected seventh by the Chicago Sky, with both rookies immediately driving ticket sales, ratings, and merchandise.
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